Off on the right foot: Phillies 10, Mets 2

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A Friday night in June against the Mets, a series that got a whole lot bigger once the Mets and Phillies tied for the division lead and Zack Wheeler on the mound. What could be better?!?!

To start the game though, Wheeler was uncharacteristically wild. He loaded the bases in the first inning with one out and was only able to get out of it by getting Jeff McNeil to ground into a double play. In the second inning, he threw too many pitches again, struggling to find an arm slot that worked for him. In their half, the Phillies got two runners on with two outs, but Mets starter Blade Tidwell struck out Otto Kemp to end the threat.

Once the inning changed to the third, Wheeler started to kick into gear, He started getting strike outs, something that was missing to start the game and only scattered a few hits. In the fourth, the Phillies were able to scratch out a few runs when, with the bases loaded, Kemp beat out a potential double play ball that gave them their first run. Tidwell was removed in favor of Jose Castillo, a lefty, to face Brandon Marsh with runners still on the corners and Marsh delivered.

Meanwhile, Wheeler kept pitching well, but the pitch count was climbing. He got the first two outs of the fifth inning before allowing a double to Brandon Nimmo after a missed third strike call. Facing Juan Soto, another missed call, this time on a checked swing, before he struck out Soto to end his outing for the evening.

That meant relief pitching.

That meant Taijuan Walker’s turn to try a leverage position.

Alright, maybe let’s stop using Walker in leveraged spots for a while. Even after getting an out, Walker allowed another baserunner before Rob Thomson had seen enough, bringing in Tanner Banks. Banks finished the inning, then got some big outs in the sixth against Francisco Lindor, Nimmo and Soto, bringing up the Phillies in the sixth.

There, Brandon Marsh started with his third hit of the game, a double off of Reed Garrett, followed by a bloop RBI single by Trea Turner to give the Phillies the lead back again.

Kyle Schwarber walked to put runners on first and second before Alec Bohm singled to right for the second run of the inning.

That lazy throw by Soto? It allowed Schwarber to get to third, which was big once Nick Castellanos hit an excuse me single to center, scoring Schwarber and making 5-2. After a fly ball by Max Kepler, Realmuto walked to load the bases for Bryson Stott. Stott doubled, scoring three in a fashion that I honestly have never seen before.

Honestly, I do not ever recall seeing that kind of play at home.

You thought they were done? Nick Castellanos says no so fast, my friend.

Max Lazar had the eighth and ninth inning covered for the team, who ended up cruising in this one when it made you squirm a bit in the middle innings. A solid showing to start off this big series in Philadelphia.