Mets Extend Losing Streak To Seven Games As They Drop Series Opener To Phils, 2-1

The New York Mets extended their losing streak to seven games as they dropped a 2-1 decision to the Philadelphia Phillies in the first game of their three-game set. The loss, which came on the same day when manager Carlos Mendoza was finally fired, featured some fine pitching from Mets rookie Zach Thornton but little offense to back him up. 

Thornton struggled out of the gate, and he looked to be on the ropes in the first inning. He gave up a double to Trea Turner and a single to Kyle Schwarber to open the game, and Bryce Harper singled to bring home the first run of the game. But a strikeout and a double-play ball killed the rally and held the Phillies to a 1-0 lead. 

Phils starter Zack Wheeler shut out the Mets through the first three, but they broke through in the fourth on a double by Bo Bichette and a single by Jared Young that tied the game at 1-1. 

The score stayed that way until the seventh, as Wheeler went back to dominating and Thornton righted the ship. The rookie wound up throwing six innings of one-run ball on five hits and a walk to go with seven strikeouts, as he temporarily subbed into the rotation for newly-traded starter David Peterson. 

The Phillies broke the tie in the seventh off reliever Huascar Brazoban, with Turner once again providing a big hit. An infield single by Derek Hill started the rally, and a ground out by J.T. Realmuto moved him over to second, with Turner providing the RBI single to score Hill and make it 2-1. 

Wheeler left after seven having given up a run on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts. But the Mets couldn’t score again against reliever Orion Kerkering or closer Jhoan Duran, who picked up his 20th save of the season. 

Once again, the storyline was the Mets poor offense. They had both Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto back in the lineup, but the Mets managed just five hits for the night, and Bichette’s double was the lone extra-base hit of the evening. 

This kind of effort has become a baseline offensive performance for the Mets this year, and it’s why they’re buried in the basement of the NL East at 14 games under .500. Interim manager Andy Green took his first loss of the season, and the Mets will send Christian Scott to the hill as he returns from the IL to face Alan Rangel for Philadelphia.