Phillies fall flat, waste Zack Wheeler masterclass in 6-2 NLDS Game 1 loss to the New York Mets

Let’s just say yesterday’s Game 1 of the NLDS didn’t go as planned for the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park was painted red, Kyle Schwarber got the party started in the bottom of the first inning with a towering solo home run to give the Phillies an early 1-0 lead and then there was…nothing.

Schwarber broke the Phillies franchise record for most home runs in the postseason. It came in the bottom of the first inning on his hardest hit baseball of the year. Schwarber crushed one with a 115.8 mph exit-velocity to the upper deck in right field. 

Kyle Schwarber Home Run

KYLE SCHWARBER. RING IT.#RedOctober | #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/faErLQSFpy

— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) October 5, 2024

That’s where it ended for the Phillies offense. They managed to have just three hits the rest of the way before putting another run on the board in the ninth inning with the game out of reach. 

Honestly, you knew the Phillies were cooked the second this game entered the 8th inning and they were clinging onto a 1-0 lead. There was no chance in hell the game was going to end there and just like that, the bullpen comes in and hands over a Zack Wheeler masterclass on a silver platter. 

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The Mets, limited to a single by Wheeler, scored five runs in the eighth inning against Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm, two of the league’s top relievers.

Look, I’m not in “Doomsday” mode like the majority of Phillies fans but you simply cannot lose that game and are now at risk of falling behind 2-0 in a five game series to the New York Mets. Cristopher Sanchez will take the mound today at 4:08 pm.

While Aaron Nola may have the postseason experience under his belt, Cristopher Sánchez has been phenomenal at home, sporting a 2.21 ERA at Citizens Bank Park.

Cristopher Sanchez vs Mets: 1-0, 3.06 ERA, 17.2 IP, 6 ER, 16 H, 2 HR, 9 BB, 19 K

Opposing him will be Luis Severino who had a record of 1-0 with an ERA of 4.50 and 12 strikeouts in 2 appearances against the Phillies this season.

Luis Severino vs Phillies (2024):

• 9/14/24: 6 IP | 3 H | 3 ER | BB 
• 9/19/24: 6 IP, 5 H | 3 ER | 2 BB

The pitching doesn’t even matter its all about what happens at the plate and the Phillies were god awful yesterday from top to bottom.

When you have guys like Nick Castellanos swinging at pitches that bounced in the dirt in front of home plate, with Bryce Harper swinging at pitches out of the strike zone and Trea Turner putting together what was arguably the four worst at-bats (two strikeouts) that we’ve seen in a long time, you’re not going to win anything.

The Phillies approach to any at-bat has been what’s plauged this team for the past three years in the postseason and everyone knew it was the main concern heading into October again this postseason, yet no one seems willing to do anything about it.

That’s not good.

We’ll see what happens today. Rob Thomson and the Phillies are going with Edmundo Sosa at third base over Alec Bohm. Not exactly sure why and personally, I would have to assume that Bohm is hurt but according to Topper, he told the media today that Sosa is the team’s “energy guy” and that’s what they need to even the series.

Alec Bohm Benched for Edmundo Sosa

Topper on why he benched Bohm for Sosa –

“Sosa is our energy guy…that’s what we need.”

— Devan Kaney (@Devan_Kaney) October 6, 2024

That’s where we are now. Here’s today’s Phillies lineup

Let's go, boys#RedOctober pic.twitter.com/efG1RhWtXX

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 6, 2024

Moving Stott up in the lineup, benching Alec Bohm, and starting Edmundo Sosa. I sure do hope that Rob Thomson knows what he’s doing because on paper that seems to be bat shit crazy.

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