Quiet bats, a bullpen letdown, and an injury for bad measure
The Mets are the current heirs to the title of America’s Vibeiest Team (vibingest? Most vibey? The dictionary hasn’t quite caught up yet). The Phillies are currently in a sort of vibes purgatory, fond memories of Daycare and Bedlam nipping at the edges of their mind as the bullpen and bats entirely too prone to going quiet threaten to send them into a vibe-free despair (vibespair? The dictionary isn’t going to take that one; bear with me). Tonight’s events did not help matters. Not one bit.
Bryson Stott led off, and he paid off the lineup decision once again with a single. Kyle Schwarber sent a changeup to center-right to put runners on the corners. Mets starter Griffin Canning cannily fed Nick Castellanos a diet of sliders; he whiffed at the first, fouled off another, then sent another gently to center field for the third out. Meanwhile, the irresistibly irrepressible John Kruk relayed that he had recently discussed colonoscopies with Castellanos. You can imagine the commercial: “Hi, I’m Nick Castellanos. I like to hit homers when tragedy strikes. So don’t give me a reason to hit another: schedule a colonoscopy today”.
The Mets also started off the game with a single, courtesy of Francisco Lindor; he was erased by a tidy 5-4 fielder’s choice starting with a nice sliding grab from Alec Bohm. But that put Juan Soto on base, and he scored when Mark Vientos, working a long at-bat against Cristopher Sánchez, doubled up the third base line and just out of the reach of a diving Bohm. A wild pitch advanced Vientos to third, Starling Marte walked, and the Phillies were beginning to feel vibes too, albeit of the bad variety (can you refer to bad vibes simply as vibes? There seems to be a general implication that vibes, unless explicitly stated to be bad, are good. A question for our linguists). The Phillies escaped the inning without further damage, but the mood was sour, the clouds dark. Too early for despair? Maybe, but the Phils have been scuffling a little, and rivalry intensifies everything.
They lightened a little as J.T. Realmuto doubled (like Vientos, up the third base line). Then they dissipated, dispersed by the reverberations from a Bohm batted ball bouncing off of Canning’s glove for an infield single. Johan Rojas promptly singled up the middle, and the Phillies had it tied at 1-all.
But the sun did not shine on the Fightins for long. Sánchez’ uncharacteristically messy game continued in the New York second as a walk and 2 singles gave the Mets the lead back. It could have been worse; with runners on the corners the Mets attempted to use a pickle between first and second to allow for a steal of home, but the Phillies figured it out in time to get the out at third.
Sánchez’ abbreviated day was done after two due to what would later be announced as forearm soreness. Joe Ross came in as the replacement; he kept the score where it was across his three innings of work (though the last out he made came worrying close to the right field fence). Meanwhile, the Fightins scattered a few hits but made little noise. The Mets turned to their own bullpen in the top of the sixth. This was the equivalent of gently rapping on the bedroom door of the sleeping Phillies’ bats; they did not wake up.
Jordan Romano came in for the bottom sixth, and, like Ross, kept the Mets at 2. But the Phillies bats remained dozing. Tanner Banks came in and put a runner on 2nd when Lindor singled to the pitcher and Banks threw the ball over Harper’s head; Orion Kerkering came in to clean up the damage, but instead allowed Pete Alonso to score Banks with a double to left. Alonso advanced to third on a wild pitch, Vientos walked, Winker took an intentional walk, and Luis Torrens hit a 2-run single to put the Phillies deep in the hole.
Insult was added to (sadly, literal) injury in the top of the 8th, when Schwarber, on first after a walk, allowed himself to be doubled up on a baserunning blunder following a Castellanos flyout. Did it matter in the scheme of things? Certainly not. It had no impact on the game and will be forgotten quickly. But it was one of those plays that seem to stand in for the whole mood around a team at a particular moment in time.
The Phillies are 13-11. They’ll look to avoid the sweep tomorrow at 1:10.