Phillies Rally to Win Over Mets

The Phillies spotted the visiting New York Mets a 5-run lead after one inning on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, then spent the rest of the game chipping away at that lead before finally pulling out a 7-5 victory.

With the win, combined with a loss by the reeling Cincinnati Reds, the Phillies lead in the race for the top overall pick in the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft fell to just 2 games over the Reds. Both teams have just 4 games remaining.

The Mets bolted on top in this one, blasting a pair of 1st inning home runs off Phils’ rookie starting pitcher Alec Asher. After Curtis Granderson led off the game with a double and David Wright walked, Daniel Murphy cranked his 14th homer of the season out to right center, making it 3-0.

Yoenis Cespedes then walked before Asher managed to record two outs. But then rookie Michael Conforto lofted his 9th homer of the season, a 2-run shot that gave New York the early 5-0 lead, knocking Asher out before he could even finish one inning.

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In his 2/3 of an inning, Asher 5 earned runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. The horrendous outing raised his season ERA to 9.00 over 6 starts. During those first half-dozen outings in the Major Leagues, Asher has done nothing to facilitate confidence that he can be a longterm member of the Phillies rotation. He will come to spring training next year fighting for a rotation role, either in Philly or back with AAA Lehigh Valley.

Justin De Fratus followed Asher to the mound. The righty reliever who has himself been so disappointing this season then proceeded to shut the Mets out over the next 3 innings of play. He did yield 3 hits and a walk, but he managed to keep the game within reach.

Phillies’ skipper Pete Mackanin then called on a half-dozen different pitchers to get through the rest of the game, and they took turns also shutting out the visitors from the Big Apple.

Meanwhile, starting on the mound for the Mets was 25-year old righty Logan Verrett. Now spending his 3rd stint with the club this season, having bounced 3x between AAA and the Majors, Verrett was being given his 3rd September start as he gives the rotation regulars a blow before the playoffs.

Verrett would last 4.1 innings, allowing 3 earned runs on 4 hits. But much of the trouble that he eventually got himself into came thanks to the 4 walks he allowed.

The Phils finally got to him in the bottom of the 3rd. After 3 of the first 4 batters reached base, Verrett only escaped trouble thanks to a line drive doubleplay. But then Darin Ruf ripped a 2-run double to cut the deficit to 5-2. Another run came home when Cody Asche lined an RBI single with two outs in the 5th to make it a 5-3 game.

In an eventful bottom of the 6th, the Mets lost two key players to injuries, outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and shortstop Wilmer Flores, and the Phillies took the lead. They tied it on a 2-run single by Freddy Galvis, who subsequently scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by Mets’ reliever Carlos Torres.

In the bottom of the 8th, Andres Blanco doubled off Tyler Clippard, and then scored an insurance run on a Clippard wild pitch. Phillies’ closer Ken Giles then retired New York 1-2-3 in the top of the 9th for his 15th Save.