Offense stumbles against Manaea as Phillies fall to Mets

NEW YORK — The Phillies gave a beating to the Mets Friday night, putting up 12 runs, to clinch a postseason berth. 

There was no rushing the field at the final out, there were no champagne showers — because the job was not finished. 

They want that division crown, an accomplishment that hasn’t been done by the club since 2011 … but the Phillies are going to have to wait at least one more day. 

With Ranger Suarez on the mound, the Phillies fell short, 6-3, Saturday at Citi Field.

For the most part, the Phillies weren't able to figure Sean Manaea out, though it seemed possible from the jump with Kyle Schwarber.

His 900th-career hit, an opposite field shot, gave the Phillies an early lead. Schwarber added to his MLB record in leadoff home runs, which has now reached 15. It marked the 36th long ball of the season for Schwarber. 

"Whenever you can start the game with a run, it's great," Schwarber said. "It didn't work out."

The Phillies are now 13-2 this season when the left starts the game off with a home run. 

Since returning from the injured list August 24, Ranger Suarez has not looked nearly as sharp as the standard he created for himself in the first half of the season. He gave up a pair of home runs in the second inning to Francisco Alvarez and Luisangel Acuna. It was Alvarez’s third home run against the Phillies in the last 10 days. 

The Phillies went down in order for three straight innings, giving Suarez very little time to regroup. His velocity was up but he didn’t have the command we’ve grown accustomed to. 

"They put some good at bats on a lot of our guys," Thomson said in his office following the loss. "We've had 20 walks in the three games, we can't have that. We gotta tackle a bit better, get better pitches in the zone.

"I thought Ranger was better. I was encouraged."

For a game like Saturday, one of merely inches, it didn't get the job done.

Credit Nick Castellanos for the fourth home run of the day. He evened up the score in the fifth inning and the Phillies had a clean slate for the second half of the game. 

Suarez’s day was done after five innings, pretty much what he’s been averaging per outing since he’s been back in the rotation. He gave up five hits but the only runs allowed were off the two home runs.

The lefty walked three on the day — but they were all to Pete Alonso. Oddly enough, the three walks came directly following three strikeouts to Mark Vientos. 

Jose Ruiz’s efforts in the sixth inning should not go unnoticed. After getting two quick outs, he walked Harrison Bader. Acuna, who already did some damage early, popped up in shallow right field. Castellanos slid in an attempt to catch it but the ball bounced past him. 

What could’ve been trouble, turned into luck for the Phillies as the ball trickled into the stands, sending Bader back to third base. 

Jose Iglesias grounded a ball back to Ruiz, where he made a diving effort to field it from his knees and throw over to Bryce Harper to get the out. 

Orion Kerkering snapped his streak of 14 consecutive games without allowing a run (his longest of the season) … by giving up three in the bottom of the seventh. Thomson said Kerkering has been as good as anybody when it comes to his bullpen arms and was "Due for one of these today."

Jose Alvarado stepped in to secure the final out of the inning but by then the damage was done.

Luckily for the Phillies, they’ll have a chance to right the wrongs in the series finale for Sunday Night Baseball. 

And while there are many uncertainties in baseball — Zack Wheeler being on the mound is as good as it can get for the Phillies as they try to jump that next hurdle.

In the final game of the season against the Mets, the Phillies’ ace will go up against his former team to try and send his club back to Philadelphia with the division crown for the first time in 13 years.

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