But that was as close as they’d get. Walker collapsed in the bottom of the 4th, putting two on with a HBP and walk, then allowing a towering upper deck blast to Francisco Alvarez.
He was replaced with José Ruiz after allowing 1 more hit, but the results remained similar: a pair of RBI base hits followed immediately after. The nightmare inning wouldn’t end there, either. Ruiz loaded the bases without recording an out. He was able to induce a GIDP to staunch the bleeding, though it provided little succor.
The game suddenly became quiet, and remained that way for some time. Kolby Allard came in and kept the Mets in check as the Phillies offense remained stuck at 3 runs. They came alive again in the top of the 7th, as a pair of hits from Realmuto and Marsh and a HBP loaded the bases with none out. That brought up Kyle Schwarber and the dream of a grand slam. The reality — an RBI force out — wasn’t as nice as the dream, but it was something. Bryce Harper’s 2 run double, which came soon after, narrowing the deficit to 9-6, was also something.
But the trend continued: The Phillies allowed more runs just as soon as they scored some themselves. Luisangel Acuña scored on an RBI triple; even when Ronald is out with injury, an Acuña still haunts the Phillies.
The Phillies made a final stand in the 9th, trailing by 4. It started with Kody Clemens, pinch-hitting and going down on strikes. Schwarber did the same. Trea Turner made contact, but flew out to end it. There will be celebrations soon enough, possibly as soon as tomorrow. But for tonight, the champagne and commemorative t-shirts remain on the shelf.
The Phillies are 91-62. The series against the Mets continues tomorrow at 7:10.
The Phillies came into tonight’s game just 1 win away from clinching a playoff spot. They left tonight’s game in the same situation. It’s not a disaster; not for their playoff hopes, their division hopes, or even their hopes of taking the top overall seed. This loss will fade as October dawns with all its tension and drama, but for tonight the mood is sour.
The Phillies offense began with an extension of their free-swinging ways from last night, with 3 of 4 batters going down on Ks to Luis Severino in the 1st.
Taijuan Walker took to the mound in the bottom of the 1st, navigating through the first two batters before Mark Vientos hit a screaming liner that had just enough height to become a round-tripper. The next batter, Pete Alonso hit one with the same result, but a different aesthetic: his dinger arced high and landed neatly over the fence in right.
Things remained quiet for the Phillies until they didn’t: Kyle Schwarber slipped a 2-out single right up the middle, and then Trea Turner delivered a dinger to left to tie the game at 2. But the ancient proverb is true: The home run giveth and the home run taketh. Nearly as soon as Turner tied it up, Brandon Nimmo unleashed a 2-run shot of his own to restore the Mets’ lead at 2.
The Philadelphias, however, would not go away. In the top of the 4th they began to chip away at Severino, with Nick Castellanos singling, J.T. Realmuto working a walk, and Brandon Marsh hitting a 2-out RBI single to narrow the lead to 1.
Phillies' Alec Bohm struggled at the plate foing 0-4 with 2 strikeouts in the loss to the Mets.
USA TODAY
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