Reed it and weep: Garrett implodes, Phillies explode and Mets drop 6th straight

Phillies 6 Mets 4 (Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA)

Mets record: 76-71

Mets streak: Lost 6

L10: 3-7

WP - Jesus Luzardo (14-6)

LP - Reed Garrett (3-6)

SV - Jhoan Duran (29)

Seat on the Korner: Jesus Luzardo

We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.

It looked like Jesus Luzardo might not get out of the first inning. The Mets hung a 4-spot on the Phillies starting pitcher before he was even able to get his second out of the game. Yet there he was in the eighth inning, protecting a two-run lead and on his way to retiring 22 straight Mets before giving way to Jhoan Duran, who finished the job with consecutive strikeouts of Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Mark Vientos. The Mets had slugged five hits against Luzardo after the first six batters of the game. But Luzardo snared a line drive up the middle by Jeff McNeil and turned it into a double play to end the first inning, and the Mets offense took the rest of the game off. By the time his night was through, the Phillies southpaw had struck out 10, walked none, threw 97 pitches and enjoyed a nice post-game chat with Ralph in the Korner.

Need to Know

• The Mets' sixth straight loss — capping a four-game sweep by the Phillies — drew the idle Reds and Giants to just 1.5 games behind them for the final NL Wild Card spot.

• It also extended the first-place Phillies' lead over the Mets to 11 games with 15 left to play, and dropped Philadelphia's magic number for clinching the division to 7 — and just 4 for a post-season berth.

• The Mets wore first-responder hats as they have done each year on 9/11 since 2020, when MLB first granted permission.

• The Phillies got to Mets starter David Peterson in the fourth inning on a two-run homer by Otto Kemp, and added another in the fifth on a single by Weston Wilson and an RBI double by Bryce Harper.

  
  

• Mets relievers Tyler Rogers and Edwin Diaz got the Phillies 1-2-3 in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively. Those were the only two times Philadelphia was retired in order.

• The Mets return to Citi Field for a three-game series with the Texas Rangers, beginning tonight when ex-Met Jacob deGrom (11-7, 2.78 ERA) takes on rookie Jonah Tong (1-1, 4.09). It will be deGrom's first time facing the Mets since he signed with Texas as a free agent after the 2022 season.

• The rest of the series will pit the other two rookies in the Mets rotation — Brandon Sproat (0-1, 4.50) and Nolan McLean (4-1, 1.42) — against Texas' Patrick Corbin (7-9, 4.36) and Jacob Latz (4-4, 3.14) on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

  
  

Turning Point

The Mets were clinging to a one-run lead. David Peterson had staggered a bit over the first five innings, but had thrown just 87 pitches — yet Carlos Mendoza chose to yank him in favor of Reed Garrett. And just like that, the Phillies were on their way to dealing the Mets their sixth straight defeat. Nick Castellanos greeted Garrett with a hustle double to left-center. Otto Kemp then belted a fly ball to center that Jeff McNeil misjudged and played into a double that tied the game. After a ground out, Garrett walked Brandon Marsh and struck out Weston Wilson. But Harrison Bader — 19-for-36 against the Mets, his 2024 employer, this season (including 10-for-19 as a Phillie) — singled to center to drive in the go-ahead run. Brooks Raley replaced Garrett and got out of the inning, but not before giving up an RBI infield hit to Bryce Harper.

Three Keys

Mets actually take a lead

Francisco Lindor, 0-for-his-last-15 when he came to bat to lead off the game, singled to right field. Juan Soto followed by doing the same. After Pete Alonso suffered his first of three strikeouts, Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo rapped RBI singles to right field and Starling Marte slugged a two-run double off the left-field wall to make it 4-0, Mets. But did you feel comfortable, Mets fans?

Not McNeil's night

That first-inning Met rally looked like it might be extended when Jeff McNeil slammed a line drive up the middle — only to have Luzardo snare it and fire to second to double up Marte. Not McNeil's fault, obviously. But it was McNeil's defense that cost the Mets in the pivotal sixth inning. With a runner at second, Otto Kemp's fly to center probably should have been caught, but McNeil took a few steps in — and the ball sailed over his head for the game-tying double.

Blowing the deadline

Two of the Phillies trade-deadline acquisitions were once again front and center. The afore-mentioned Bader continued his assault on his former team with a first-inning double and his clutch RBI hit in the sixth. And Jhoan Duran, with his 102-mph fastball and knuckle curve, struck out Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Mark Vientos on 11 pitches in the ninth to complete the Phillies' sweep. Compare that pair to David Stearns' deadline pickups — Gregory Soto, Tyler Rogers, Ryan Helsley and Cedric Mullins. No comparison.