Categories: 2022 Postgame Recaps

Phillies win thriller in New York to open crucial series

Ranger Suarez was excellent in a win against New York. (Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire)

Final Score (10 innings): Phillies 2, Mets 1

Fans that were able to figure out how to log in to Apple TV+ were treated to an instant classic between the Phillies and Mets. It was a nail-biter, but the Phillies squeezed out a win in 10 innings in impressive fashion.

You can look at three instances in which the game was saved.

Matt Vierling’s right arm sent it to extras in the ninth. With first and third and one out, the Mets sent lefty slugger Daniel Vogelbach to pinch hit for the right-handed hitting Darin Ruf. Vogelbach hit a short fly ball to left field against the usually steady Phillies closer Seranthony Domínguez. The speedy Starling Marte tagged and the throw easily beat Marte to the plate for an inning-ending double play.

With the Phillies holding a narrow 2-1 lead in the bottom of the tenth, David Robertson spiked a 1-2 curveball against Tyler Naquin that would have gotten past pretty much every catcher in the league besides Realmuto and tied the game. Two pitches later, umpire Scott Barry, who was frankly brutal behind home plate, called a questionable strike three off the outside corner that swung the game in the Phillies’ favor.

All of the breaks and clutch moments added up to one of the more entertaining Phillies wins of the season.

Don’t let the kids get hot

The young kids opened the scoring against Max Scherzer to begin the game. Bryson Stott worked a 3-2 count in his first at-bat in the leadoff spot and launched a ball over Marte’s head and off the right field wall for a double. Alec Bohm drove him home with an RBI single two batters later.

The pair of former first round picks were both excellent for the Phillies. Stott went 3-for-4 and is now 6-for-7 to begin his career against Scherzer. Bohm went 1-for-4 with two RBIs and made a stellar bare-handed pick in the sixth inning.

Earlier this year, Bohm would have been unplayable with a pitcher like Suárez starting for the Phillies. Suárez has a tendency to give up plenty of soft grounders to the pull side against righties. The much discussed three- error game happened during a Suárez outing. Bohm is now playing third with a high level of confidence and it was certainly evident tonight. Since June 1, Bohm has been worth +2 outs above average at third.

Speaking of defense, Suárez’s stellar play as a defender continued on Friday. He has perfected the snag on comebackers to the mound and should be at least in the conversation for a gold glove.

The Phillies lefty, who holds the sixth-best ERA among starters in baseball over the last calendar year, went head-to-head with a future Hall of Famer. Suárez induced 11 ground ball outs over seven innings of one-run ball to earn his seventh quality start of the year. Scherzer allowed nine hits, one shy of a season high, over seven innings but limited the Phillies to just one run.

Things don’t get easier for the Phillies tomorrow. They’ll face the most electric pitcher in the sport in Jacob deGrom. The good news is that the Phillies have already stolen two wins against the Alcantara-Scherzer-deGrom trio this week and are sending one of the best starters in the National League this season in Aaron Nola to the mound.

Shibe Vintage Sports Notes

Per Tim Britton of The Athletic, Stott is the first player ever to reach base safely four times in a game against Scherzer.
The Phillies are the first team this season to win multiple games when opposed by Scherzer. It marks the first time ever the Phillies have beaten Scherzer more than once in a season.

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