You’re telling me there’s a chance: Phillies vs. Mets series preview - The Good Phight
The Mets still have slight hope of winning the division, but the Phillies can put an end to that this weekend.
The Mets still have slight hope of winning the division, but the Phillies can put an end to that this weekend.
By The Smarty Jones Sep 13, 2024, 12:59pm EDT / new- Share this on Facebook
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Record: 80-66, Second place in National League East (Eight games back)
The last time they Met
As mentioned, it was that two-game series in London. The Phillies took the first game, but a ninth inning meltdown by Jose Alvarado allowed the Mets to come back and win the second.
Since then?
They’ve won a lot of games, behind an offense that ranks second in the majors in runs scored since London. Francisco Lindor is likely headed for a top two MVP finish, while Mark Vientos has emerged as a power threat. Pitching wise, they’ve got a good, but not great staff. For instance, they’ll use three decent to good starters this weekend in Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, and David Peterson.
Boo this man
It’s the Mets, so there are plenty of targets for our ire. Brandon Nimmo is always a fine candidate, although he’s currently mired in a slump, so he’s had fewer opportunities to do his sprinting down to first base after a walk schtick.
Pete “Dadbod” Alonso is also a worthy target of boos. Remember when Mets fans insisted Alonso was a better player than Aaron Judge? You’d think those comparisons would have stopped, but apparently some Mets fans really want to hold onto that dream.
Pete Alonso is a Met. Pete Alonso will be a Met.And Pete Alonso still has more homers than Aaron Judge since 2019.
— Tommy Lugauer (@tommylugauer) August 15, 2024
They’ll make it back…someday
The Phillies have had multiple players suffer injuries that the team doesn’t seem to be especially concerned about, yet the player inevitably misses a decent chunk of time. It’s clear that they’re being conservative, as they want their key players to be healthy come playoff time, but it’s still disturbing when a player misses over a week with an “un-concerning” injury.
Kyle Schwarber tried to give it a go tonight with his left elbow, but the Phillies are taking him out of the lineup out of precaution. Rob Thomson is not concerned. Here are other injury updates as well:@KYWNewsradio#Philliespic.twitter.com/IYSKzQ2fnP
— Dave Uram (@MrUram) September 11, 2024 The personnel losses have been mitigated thanks to strong play from fill-ins like Kody Clemens and Buddy Kennedy, but it would be nice to see J.T. Realmuto, Alec Bohm, and Kyle Schwarber retake the field at some point this weekend.
The Mark Brendanawicz award
Rick Porcello
Porcello pitched eleven years in the American League, spending time with both Detroit and Boston. For most of his career, he was a solid mid-rotation starter. He never made an All-Star team but could be counted on as a solid number three in a good rotation. In 2016 he put together a career year, winning the Cy Young Award. (The following year, regression bit him hard as he led the AL in both hits and home runs allowed.)
He signed with the Mets before the 2020 season, and his first - and only - season in the National League went dreadfully. He was repeatedly shelled, and when the shortened season came to a close, so did his career.
The Mets signing Rick Porcello this offseason, a play in three acts. pic.twitter.com/aPMlcF4fHn
— Vas Drimalitis (@vasdrimalitis) September 10, 2020
Save us, Kolby
The Phillies’ fifth starter spot has proven vexing. The job was given to Taijuan Walker upon his return from the Injured List, and he pitched so poorly, we thought anybody had to be better than him. Tyler Phillips and Seth Johnson came up from the minors and proved us wrong.
Phillies fans: Nobody could be worse than Taijuan Walker!Tyler Phillips and Seth Johnson: pic.twitter.com/Vm5TuPViZE
— Smarty Jones (@TheSmartyJones) September 8, 2024 While those guys were floundering, many fans longed for Kolby Allard who had made three non-horrible starts over the summer. Unfortunately, since Allard was optioned to the minors, he couldn’t be recalled for ten days. Those ten days are over, and Allard will get his next start on Saturday.
We should not hope for all that much out of Allard. While he was certainly better than Walker, Phillips, and Johnson, he is a seven-year veteran who hasn’t been able to stick in the major leagues because of poor performance. (He’s carrying a nifty career ERA of 5.92.) He also hasn’t lasted longer than five innings in any of his starts.
So, while the bar has been set remarkably low, the best we should hope for is that he can simply deliver four or five non-disastrous innings.
Trivia
Last series’ answer: In the final game between the Phillies and the Montreal Expos, both Phillies runs were driven in by Bobby Abreu. Chappdaddy was correct.
This series’ question: Who is the Mets franchise leader for home runs hit at Citizens Bank Park?
Non-Phillies thought
MLB announced that during the playoffs, all teams will wear the logo of Strauss, a German workwear company on their helmets.
This postseason every MLB team will have this sponsored Strauss logo on their helmetThrough 2027, the German workwear company will appear on every helmet in the MLB postseason as well as every MLB game in Europe and every single Minor League game pic.twitter.com/oHIc8vSqZC
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 13, 2024 American baseball teams are wearing a German company logo on their helmet? Did we lose a war?
I actually know the answer to that one: No! We fought Germany in two wars, and the United States came out on top both times! What exactly are we doing here, MLB?
Closing thought
While the Mets are a longshot to win the East, they’ll likely be in a fight to the wire for one of the league’s Wild Card spots. So even if the Phillies win the first game, it’s not like the Mets are going to be demoralized and give up the rest of the way. That said, even ignoring the fact that the Phillies need these games to help secure a playoff bye, it’s always nice to help dent the Mets’ playoff chances.
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