The Philadelphia Phillies continue to struggle at Citi Field, unable to solve the New York Mets on their home turf. Just a day after dropping a heartbreaking close game to their division rivals, the Phillies were dominated again Wednesday night. Rookie sensation Nolan McLean silenced Philadelphia’s dangerous lineup, tossing eight shutout innings in a 6-0 rout.
The loss not only sealed a sweep but also marked the Mets’ 10th straight home victory over the Phillies, a streak that stretches back to last season and includes the two postseason wins that knocked Philadelphia out last October. What was once a seven-game gap in the NL East has now been trimmed to four, putting the division race back in play. The two clubs will meet again Sept. 8-11 in Philadelphia.
When asked if the Phillies had given the Mets new life in the race, manager Rob Thomson wasn’t interested in speculation. “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask them,” he told The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. What he did emphasize is that his team can’t afford to dwell on their struggles in Flushing. With 29 games left — 17 of them at home — the Phillies still have a prime chance to lock up the division and earn a direct path to the NLDS.
“We know we need to play better,” Thomson said. “Yeah, it’s one of those series. We’ll just have to flush it and move on.”
If the Phillies return to Citi Field in October, they’ll have to face those demons head-on. For now, though, their focus shifts to this weekend’s matchup against the fourth-place Atlanta Braves.