NEW YORK — A game that looked like a Phillies loss from the bottom of the second to the bottom of the eighth turned into the latest example of their depth and ability to persevere.
After two runs in the ninth inning against Edwin Diaz, one of baseball’s most electric closers, the Phillies came close with Bryson Stott’s solo home run and tied the game when Alec Bohm was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. The tying run was scored by Cody Clemens, who struck out Edmundo Sosa and grounded out a grounder after Stott’s homer.
Orion Kerkering, who played back-to-back days for the first time this season, went 1-2-3 through the Mets’ order in the bottom of the ninth, retiring Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and J.D. Martinez to set up more home runs from Stott in the extra innings. Kerkering made it look much easier than it was.
Stott fell behind in the 0-2 count off Mets reliever Sean Reed-Foley in the top of the 10th but struggled to drill a sacrifice fly to deep right field. Bryce Harper crossed the plate with the go-ahead run and Jose Alvarado put the Mets to a 5-4 win.
“It was a great win,” said head coach Rob Thompson. “We keep winning games in different ways, and we get contributions from all kinds of people. That’s who they are. They keep fighting. They’re resilient.”
You don’t think of Stott as the type of player who can run the offense, but he basically did that over the past week. He has driven in 11 runs in his last eight games. He has reached base in 12 of his last 19 plate appearances, and narrowly missed out on three innings before doing so Monday night.
“This guy is a stud,” Marsh said. “He showed it day in and day out last year. It was only a matter of time for him to start clicking and there’s no better time than now.”
“We started with Stotter. He set the tone for us and we got behind him after that. Diaz is raw. He’s as good as can be, an amazing talent, we came very close. To get to him tonight was huge.” “.
The 29-13 Phillies still haven’t lost back-to-back games since April 23-24 in Cincinnati.
It was a strange start from Christopher Sanchez, who threw just 10 pitches in a 1-2-3 first inning but needed 50 pitches to record the next four batters. He allowed two runs in the bottom of the second and the third inning was a rollercoaster.
Sanchez put the first four Mets on base in the bottom of the third with a double, a single and two walks. He hit Brett Batty with the bases loaded for the first time, then gingerly walked off the mound and had his hand examined by the coach. He has been dealing with a stingray that pops up from time to time and needs to be rubbed off. Sanchez responded by hitting back-to-back threes on nine pitches.
After looking like he wouldn’t get out of the third inning, Sanchez then pitched a 1-2-3 fourth inning, retired the team in the fifth and would have recorded a “good start” if not for his double error. On the sixth. The Phillies needed the extra length because Spencer Turnbull, the only true long man in the bullpen, pitched an inning of relief Sunday and likely wasn’t available Monday because he’s not used to coming back on back-to-back days.
“The thing I take the biggest pride in is overcoming adversity,” Thompson said. “He got in trouble, had a long run in the second and third innings, and just settled down and kept playing. That’s the growth in this guy. It’s really something.”
“Loading the bases and getting him out with those three punches saved us the game,” Marsh added.
The Phillies were shorthanded again Monday with Kyle Schwarber (lower back soreness) and JT Realmuto (right knee soreness) out of the starting lineup. Trea Turner will be out for another month with a hamstring strain. The Phils have done a great job in recent seasons of playing through injuries to key players like Harper, Rhys Hoskins, Alvarado and Ranger Suarez, but they also haven’t taken out three of their best hitters at the same time.
Schwarber pinch-hit in the ninth inning and struck out. Thompson said he will return to the lineup Tuesday afternoon. Realmuto is daily and his status for Tuesday is TBD.
The Phillies have Aaron Nola on the mound at 1:10 PM for the final leg of this two-game series at home. Jose Boto, the first right-hander the Phils have faced in five games, goes to the Mets.
“I don’t think we had anyone (left) on the bench except J.T.,” Stott said. “The bullpen guys came in and did their jobs, threw strikes, pitched shutout innings. Sanchez’s pitch in those five innings and a couple plays was huge. It was a gutsy performance by him and by the guys coming off the bench.”