Categories: 2023 Postgame Recaps

Phillies, Harper can’t get to Scherzer in loss to Mets

Bryce Harper did not get a hit today. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire)

Final Score: Mets 4, Phillies 2

Bryce Harper’s power struggles over the last month have been a topic of conversation lately when talking about the Phillies lineup. Since last Saturday, though, it hasn’t just been Harper not picking up extra-base hits.

Entering play Saturday, Philadelphia’s offense had posted a .267 slugging percentage with just five doubles and one home run over their previous five games. During that stretch, they scored 14 runs — which averages out to 2.8 per game.

Today was going to be a tough game to get the offense going, though, with Max Scherzer on the mound for the Mets. Despite the future Hall of Famer’s up and down 2023 season, he has had plenty of success against the Phillies during his career with a 2.56 ERA in 30 career starts against Philadelphia prior to today.

The Phillies picked up their first run of the day in the fourth inning thanks to Nick Castellanos — who went 3-for-3 with a walk — leading off the frame with his ninth home run of the year:

Trea Turner added another run for Philadelphia an inning later with an RBI single that brought Brandon Marsh home from second after he doubled to begin the inning:

Altogether, Phillies hitters went 7-for-24 against Scherzer — who pitched six innings of two-run ball with eight strikeouts — with a double and a home run.

As for Harper — who extended his current on-base streak to 14 games with a first-inning walk — he went 0-for-3 against Mets pitching today. The two-time NL MVP still has just four-extra base hits this month and hasn’t homered in his last 24 games — tied for the second-longest streak of his career.

Meanwhile, Cristopher Sánchez started for the Phillies this afternoon and pitched well enough to keep the Phillies in the game. The lefty was charged with three earned runs in his five-plus innings pitched.

Things unraveled in the sixth inning, however, with Yunior Marte on the mound. Marte replaced Sánchez after the left-hander allowed a leadoff single, and would go on to surrender two runs — one of which was charged to Sánchez — on three hits, which gave the Mets a 4-2 lead:

The game remained 4-2 entering the bottom of the eighth. After scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh, the Phillies were able to put a pair of runners on with one out in inning. That prompted Mets skipper Buck Showalter to summon former Phillie David Roberston from the bullpen.

The veteran reliever did his job and got the Mets out of the jam as he was able to get Bryson Stott to ground into a double play to end the inning.

With the bottom-third of Philadelphia’s lineup hitting in the ninth, Robertson stayed in the game and delivered a quick scoreless inning to end the game.

Shibe Vintage Sports Notes