The Phillies have cooled dramatically from their hot start. They suffered their third loss in two days to the New York Mets at Citi Field on Wednesday night. The Mets scored two runs against Zack Wheeler in the first inning on their way to a 5-1 victory.
Mets lefty David Peterson held the Phils to just two hits and a run over six walk-free innings and struck out 10.
The Phillies have scored just four runs in the first three games of this series. They were swept in a doubleheader Tuesday and were shut out in the second game.
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Strikeouts continue to plague the offense. The Phils struck out 14 times in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader. They also struck out 14 times Wednesday night and now have 121 Ks in 12 games.
The Phils had just three hits in the game, two singles and a homer by Jean Segura. Segura also had one of the singles.
The Mets had 12 hits.
The Phils have just 15 hits in the first three games of the series and just two of them have gone for extra bases.
MLB
After starting the season with a 5-1 homestand, the Phils have lost five of the first six games on this seven-game road trip. They are 6-6 overall. The Mets are 5-3.
Wheeler’s night
The right-hander labored through a 29-pitch first inning and allowed two runs on three hits and a double-play ball. After that, he did not allow another run until the seventh and that was after a tailor-made, potential inning-ending double-play ball became a hit because of an infield shift.
Wheeler’s command was off for the second straight outing and he worked a high pitch count, but he got big outs in keeping the game close, particularly in the sixth when he got two outs with runners on the corners to keep the Phillies’ deficit at a run.
Quite a turnaround
The Phillies pounded Peterson for seven hits, including two homers, and six runs in an 8-2 win at Citizens Bank Park last week.
This time, Peterson dominated the Phillies. He struck out seven of the Phillies’ first 11 hitters.
Peterson did not give up a hit until Segura’s solo homer with one out in the fifth inning. The next hit he allowed was a single to Rhys Hoskins in the sixth.
Peterson did give up a hard shot to deep left to J.T. Realmuto in the second inning. It was ruled an error when it hit off left fielder Dominic Smith’s glove. The ball came off the bat at 108 mph.
Big out
Down a run in the top of the seventh, the Phillies put runners on first and third with one out. Manager Joe Girardi sent Didi Gregorius, who did not start, to the plate to pinch hit for Ronald Torreyes. Mets manager Luis Rojas countered with lefty Aaron Loup, who won the battle by getting Gregorius to ground into a double play. Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor had Gregorius shaded perfectly up the middle and was able to turn an easy 6-3 double play.
It was the biggest out of the game.
The Mets scored a run in the bottom of the inning and two more in the eighth to salt the game away.
Up next
The series concludes Thursday afternoon with Zach Eflin (0-0, 3.46) opposing Jacob deGrom (0-1, 0.64). First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 p.m., though rain is in the forecast in New York.