The Phillies had no business winning Monday night’s game against the Mets.
No business at all.
They didn’t have one-third of their lineup healthy and active. Two or three relievers were unavailable due to overuse of late. Their starting pitcher didn’t have it early and put the team in an early hole, and they were playing a divisional opponent who has had their number in recent seasons.
And yet, they won.
The 29-13 Phillies seem incapable of allowing themselves to lose more than one game in a row. In fact, they’ve only lost two consecutive games twice this season: their first two games against Atlanta and the middle two games of a four-game series in Cincinnati back on April 23-24.
They have not lost three in a row all season.
The Phils enter Tuesday with a two-game lead over the Atlanta Braves and are 14-3 in their last 17 games, with last night’s gritty, come-from-behind victory against one of the best closers in baseball perhaps their best overall win of the season.
No, they didn’t bludgeon the Mets into smithereens, nor did they get an ace-level performance from a starting pitcher. The Phillies had to put on their big boy gloves and noodle their 10-inning, 5-4 victory out from under submerged rocks.
How did they pull it off?
Of all the pitchers in the rotation, Cristopher Sanchez’ 2024 season has been the most uneven but, on the whole, he’s been solid. However, it didn’t appear he was going to last long Monday night. Entering the third inning down 2-1, he loaded the bases with nobody out and then walked in a run to make it 3-1. He could not throw strikes and it sure appeared as if he wouldn’t be on the mound much longer.
But after a visit from manager Rob Thomson, Sanchez struck out the side on nine pitches.
Never in my life have I seen that before. Sanchez settled down after that and pitched into the 6th inning, keeping the score 3-1. After the Phils scratched out a run in the 7th to make it 3-2, Seranthony Dominguez gave that run right back in the bottom of the inning, so they entered the 9th down 4-2.
Enter the team’s hottest hitter, Bryson Stott.
Ice cold through the season’s first three weeks, Stott has been red-hot the last three and jolted the Phillies awake with his blast off closer Edwin Diaz that trimmed the deficit to 4-3. The dinger seemed to rattle Diaz, who gave up a pinch-hit single to Kody Clemens and a walk to Edmundo Sosa, filling in for the injured Trea Turner.
Sosa had another two hits last night, raising his season average to .311 and his OPS to a Turner-esque .948.
After Kyle Schwarber, who did not start because of an achy back, came off the bench and struck out and back-up catcher Garrett Stubbs, subbing for the banged-up J.T. Realmuto, popped out, the Phils could have folded. And with the struggling Whit Merrifield at the plate, things weren’t looking good, even after he got ahead in the count 3-1.
Sometimes, a good team also has to be a little lucky and, last night, the umpires provided the Phillies with an opportunity to see their improbable comeback all the way through.
There’s no world in which Merrifield didn’t swing at that pitch. It was obvious to the entire world and yet, to the two guys who are paid American dollars to call plays like this accurately, both the home plate and first base umpire ruled Merrifield didn’t swing. The count should have run full but, instead, Merrified happily took the gift to load the bases.
Alec Bohm fell in an 0-2 hole, but Diaz’ wildness got the best of him, hitting Bohm on the knuckles with a fastball to force in the tying run (thankfully it appears Bohm is not injured).
Bryce Harper struck out with the bases loaded to end the top of the 9th, but the Mets would get their chance to walk it off. However, rookie Orion Kerkering was called on to silence the heart of the New York order, and that’s just what the 23-year-old did, retiring All Stars Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and J.D. Martinez in dominating fashion.
In the 10th inning, Harper started on 2nd base due to the extra inning rules put into place last year. Harper advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a Stott sacrifice fly. Jose Alvarado then entered the game for the save in the bottom of the 10th
We didn’t expect to see Alvarado last night. It was his 3rd appearance in four days, but Thomson wanted the win. The Mets, who also started with a runner on 2nd and no outs, could not even advance Martinez to 3rd, as Alvarado ripped through the lineup with 100 mph fastballs and devastating cutters, 1-2-3.
And that’s how you win a game you had no business winning.
Your starting pitcher, who was ineffective early, showed tremendous grit and kept the game close.
Multiple relievers took turns getting the job done, some in roles in which they are not accustomed.
Bench players came up with huge hits and clutch at-bats.
One of their core young stars either scored or knocked in four of the five runs.
The manager pushed the right buttons.
They got a little lucky.
It’s all working out for the Phillies so far this year, and last night was their best win of the season.
Until the next one.
Make sure to check out the latest Hittin’ Season podcast as Justin, Liz and I react in real time to the Phillies’ stirring comeback win over New York Monday night.
