Categories: 2022 Postgame Recaps

Familiar problems hurt Nola, Phillies in loss to Mets

Aaron Nola allowed five runs in five innings in a loss against the Mets. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire)

Final Score: Mets 7, Phillies 2

In front of a packed house at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies came up flat once again against a division rival they just can’t seem to beat.

The New York Mets won their 12th game of the season against the Phillies on 90s throwback night. Vanilla Ice, Tone Loc, Rob Base and DJ Jazzy Jeff are performing postgame. It seems appropriate that the Phillies offense had one good inning and played poorly throughout the rest of the game on 90s throwback night.

Aaron Nola did not throw a pitch in the sixth inning in a start for the first time since April and the Phillies offense couldn’t catch up from behind, despite having numerous chances to do so.

For Nola, familiar problems that have not been as prevalent in his game this year hurt him. A two-out, two strike home run off the bat of Pete Alonso gave the Mets a comfortable three-run lead in the third. Another run would score following a Daniel Vogelbach double and Jeff McNeil single. Both hits were also with two strikes and two outs. Last season, Nola led all of baseball in two-strike hits allowed.

The thing about Nola is that he’s going to give up two strike hits no matter what since he gets ahead often. Last season, when he had a 4.63 ERA, Nola struggled to keep a bad inning from spiraling out of control. He’s been much better at finishing off hitters (and innings) this year, but a stacked lineup like the Mets that can both hit for power and put the ball in play usually pounce on any opportunity they have to put up a crooked number in an inning. It probably doesn’t help Nola that the Mets saw him twice in less than a week.

The same can be said for Mets starter Chris Bassitt, who has pitched brilliantly in all four outings against the Phillies. His 28-inning scoreless streak ended in the fifth when designated hitter Kyle Schwarber knocked in two runs in his return to the Phillies lineup.

Andrew Bellatti, who was summoned to pitch in a three-run game against the heart of the order, walked two batters and allowed two earned runs. He’s allowed at least one earned run in four of his last five outings.

The lineup struggles that have spanned the last week or so continued Friday. While they did put up nine hits, the offense stranded nine on base. Over the last eight games, the Phillies have scored 19 runs. Eleven of those runs came in an 11-5 blowout victory against Cincinnati on Tuesday.

“We haven’t hit many home runs lately, but that changes,” Rob Thomson said postgame. “It changes in a heartbeat.”

Schwarber’s two hard-hit balls and new Phillies center fielder Bradley Zimmer’s contributions both at the plate and in the outfield were two of the only positives to take out of the loss. Sam Coonrod threw two scoreless innings in his season debut after missing the first four months of the season with shoulder issues.

Shibe Vintage Sports Notes

Alonso recorded his 100th RBI of the season in the first inning. He now has 45 career RBIs against the Phillies.
The Mets have recorded at least 12 wins against the Phillies in a season for the first time since 2017. If the Mets win the three remaining games in the series, that would mark the most lopsided Mets-Phillies season series in the history of the rivalry.

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