After a quality start from Marcus Stroman, the Mets offense couldn’t get it going, coming up short 5-2 in the final game of their series with the Phillies. New York still takes the series at Citizens Bank Park, having taken 11 of their last 15 series since the All-Star break.
Offense
New York managed just four hits and two runs in the loss. In the first, Pete Alonso shot a solo home run to left center field for his 43rd of the season and for the Mets’ only run scored through seven innings.
In the fourth, Alonso led off the frame with a single, and Michael Conforto grounded into a double play for a pair of outs. Up next, Wilson Ramos knocked a double, and Joe Panik walked to put runners on the corners. Unfortunately, the team could not capitalize on any of their baserunners, as Rosario hit a ground ball to the pitcher for the final out.
With his double in the fourth, Ramos has extended his hitting streak to a league-best 25 games.
After seven innings of one-run ball from Zach Eflin, the team took advantage of Philadelphia’s bullpen in the eighth. With one strike Todd Frazier knocked a base hit to kick off the inning. In his first game back since May 20, Brandon Nimmo was walked. A perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Luis Guillorme put runners on second and third for Jeff McNeil, who then reached on a fielder’s choice with pinch-runner Rajai Davis being thrown out at home.
New York scraped another run out of the Phils when a wild pitch walked Alonso, and sent Nimmo home to tie the game, 2-2.
The Mets went down in order in the ninth, unable to complete the rally. They were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left four on base.
Pitching
Marcus Stroman took the mound for New York and after a shaky start, ended up recording his best start as a member of the Mets. The right-hander tossed 98 pitches through six innings allowing seven hits, two runs, while walking two and striking out six. He lowered his season ERA to a 3.28.
Stroman gave up a pair of base hits to Corey Dickerson and Rhys Hoskins in the first inning that almost resulted in a run, but an amazing play by Conforto with a 94.1 mph, 235-foot strike from right field to Ramos nailed Dickerson at the plate by a mile to end the inning.
The 28-year-old got into some trouble when Brad Miller hit a leadoff homer in the second to tie the game 1-1. Then, Scott Kingery singled and Adam Haseley was walked to put two on with one out. Corey Dickerson smacked a base hit to right field to take a 2-1 lead, but Stroman was able to get out of the inning allowing just two runs to score.
Luis Avilan relieved Stroman in the seventh with one runner on, after a leadoff double from Hasely. He got two outs, and the runner was left stranded after Paul Sewald was brought in to finish off the frame.
Southpaw Daniel Zamora was brought in to a tie game to face Bryce Harper, but gave up a base hit to the lefty. Zamora was lifted for Jeurys Familia without recording an out. Familia walked Hoskins with no outs to put Philly in scoring position, and after getting Miller out, he intentionally walked Cesar Hernandez to set up a double play. The righty couldn’t get out of the jam though, as Kingery knocked a bases-clearing double to put the Phils ahead, 5-3.
On Deck
The Mets continue their road trip for one more series, opening a three-game series with the Nationals on Monday afternoon in DC. Noah Syndergaard (9-7, 4.14 ERA) will take the mound facing off with Washington’s Joe Ross (3-3, 5.36 ERA).
The game will begin at 1:05 p.m. ET. It will be televised on SNY and broadcast on WCBS 880 and ESPN 1050.
