Phillies drop pitching duel to Mets 1-0 in playoff atmosphere

The Phillies lost to the Mets 1-0 on Saturday night in a pitching duel between Aaron Nola and Jacob DeGrom in which both teams combined for only 7 hits.

Mets (74-40) Beat Phillies (63-50)

• Winning Pitcher: Jacob DeGrom (2-0, 1.62)
• Losing Pitcher: Aaron Nola (8-9, 3.07)
• Save: Edwin Diaz (27, 1.33)

Aaron Nola allowed two hits in the 1st inning including an RBI single to Pete Alonso that turned out to be enough for the Mets to top the Phillies in the second game of the weekend series. Otherwise Nola was fantastic, allowing only two more hits over the next 7 innings while striking out 8 hitters.

At one point, Nola retired 17 batters in a row before Jeff McNeil led off the eighth inning with a walk. It was arguably Nola’s best start this season and he improved his ERA to 2.13 in his 11 games on the road.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, Jacob DeGrom was even better tonight. DeGrom struck out 10 hitters with only 76 pitches and allowed only two hits over 6 innings while reminding everyone that he is still by far the best pitcher in the league.

Both of the hits that deGrom allowed were singles. Rhys Hoskins lined a fastball to right for a single in the first inning and Bryson Stott sent a slider to right for a single in the sixth.

With DeGrom only in his third start of the season after recovering from a serious injury, the Phillies had a great opportunity to get their bats going against the Mets bullpen. But the results were much of the same against the combination of Seth Lugo, Trevor May, and Edwin Diaz who allowed only one hit mostly avoided any serious trouble.

The Phils managed to get two runners in scoring position against Diaz after he walked Rhys Hoskins and JT Realmuto in the 9th inning. Nick Castellanos came to the plate with a chance to put the Phils ahead with a single but struck out swinging on a nasty 93 mph slider just outside the strike zone.

That’s two runs in as many games for the Phillies offense which sputtered once again without the services of Kyle Schwarber due to an injured calf. Schwarber was able to enter the game as a pinch hitter for Matt Vierling in the 8th but flied out to center field to end the inning.

With the loss the Phillies dropped to 4-10 against the Mets this season.

Pete Alonso puts the Mets ahead in the 1st inning with an RBI single to right field in front of Nick Castellanos.

1-0 Mets

Aaron Nola punches out Tyler Naquin in the 7th inning for his 7th strike out of the night.

Rhys Hoskins makes perhaps his best defensive play during his tenure as a Phillies first basemen by getting the lead runner at second base and setting up the double play on a bunt by Tomas Nido in the 8th inning.

Up Next for the Phillies

The Phillies will look to take the series in the final game against the Mets at Citi Field on Sunday afternoon.

Zack Wheeler (11-5, 2.63) will toe the rubber facing off against Chris Bassitt (9-7, 3.39) with the first pitch scheduled for 1:40 pm.

NBC Sports Philadelphia will carry the broadcast of the game.

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