The Phillies dropped their third straight game following a 5-1 loss to the Mets at Citi Field on Wednesday night. Starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez struggled through two innings of work before being removed from the ball game. The much-maligned bullpen pitched several shutdown innings before the Mets broke through late to capture the win. The Phillies fall to 13-11 in the early season, while the Mets improve to 17-7 to hold pole position in the NL East through the first 24 games of the 2025 MLB season.
Phillies vs Mets: Game Recap
As he did in Game 2 of last season’s NLCS, Mets infielder Marc Vientos was an early thorn in the side of Sanchez. Last October, the 25-year-old slugger clubbed a third-inning home run off Sanchez to provide an early lead for the Mets in a wild 7-6 game that ended on Nick Castellanos’ walk-off single.
On Wednesday night, Vientos opened the scoring for New York with an RBI double in the first inning, scoring Juan Soto with a 1-0 lead. Philadelphia responded in the top of the second inning with a Johan Rojas single to center that scored J.T. Realmuto to tie the game at one.
Unfortunately, Sanchez was unable to shut down the Mets in the bottom of the second. Francisco Lindor’s RBI single to right allowed the Mets to regain the lead, 2-1. Scoreboard operators in Queens sat back and watched Phils reliever Joe Ross and New York starter Griffin Canning duel for several scoreless innings with zeros dotting the Citi Field scoreboard.
New York put the game away in the seventh inning with a 3-run outburst against reliever Orion Kerkering. Mets 1B Pete Alonso doubled to left, allowing Lindor to add to the Mets’ lead at 3-1. After a pair of walks, veteran catcher Luis Torrens smashed a single to left and added two more digits to the New York run total at 5-1.
Sanchez’s Early Inning Injury Scare
Sanchez, an MLB All-Star selection last year, exited after two innings with forearm soreness, according to the team. When Rob Thompson spoke to Sanchez between innings, the pitcher mentioned the tightness in the arm, and the Phillies skipper elected to remove him from the game as a precaution.
“He’s one of the best pitchers in the National League,” Thomson said. “So, other people would have to pick it up. But I’m not anticipating that yet.” The 28-year-old pitcher’s health will be reevaluated by the team later this week. “Right now, I feel normal,” Sanchez said postgame via the team’s interpreter. “I think it’s not going to be a thing I have to worry about.”
Afternoon Series Finale in New York
The top two teams in the division wrap up their three-game series in Queens on Wednesday afternoon. Phillies Ace Zach Wheeler battles Mets lefty David Peterson as the Phillies look to avoid the series sweep by the Mets. Game time is scheduled for 1 PM EST and will be broadcast on MLB Network.
Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
