PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Philadelphia Phillies were down to their final out in Sunday’s matchup with the Mets. After blowing a 2-run lead in the 8th inning, an RBI triple from Roman Quinn brought the Phillies within 3. That gave Rhys Hoskins a chance to tie the game, and he delivered; he delivered a clutch, 2-out, 3-run home run to tie the game.
However, the umpires gathered to review the play. Citizens Bank Field has some unique boundaries along the outfield wall that came into play. The ball struck the top of the outfield railing, which is part of the wall. Thus, the umpires reversed the home run, giving Hoskins a ground-rule double and taking the tying run off the board.
That put the pressure back on the Phillies (13-15) and Bryce Harper. In his first game back since taking a pitch to the face, Harper went down on the strikes; that sealed the 8-7 come from behind victory for the Mets (11-11).
That makes back-to-back nights where the Phillies got questionable calls in critical spots. In yesterday’s matchup with the Mets, a call on Andrew McCutchen leaving the base path drew criticism from manager Joe Girardi.
“He said he left the baseline. It’s a terrible call. To me, the sad thing about it is it’s not reviewable because it’s a judgment. Well, I’m sorry, that’s about as clear as it can be,” said Girardi.
Following the call on Sunday, Girardi was much less critical of the umpires and the call on Hoskins’s hit.
“I’m assuming they were right,” said Girardi.
Mets Offense Explodes in the 8th Inning
Late in the game, the Phillies looked ready to secure the victory. They entered the 8th inning with a two-run lead thanks to homers from Andrew McCutchen (2) and Didi Gregorius (3). They also got a great performance from starting pitcher Zach Eflin. He was in line for the win after just 2 earned runs in 6 innings pitched.
However, that’s when the Mets offense took over. Kevin Pillar led off the inning with a solo home run, bringing the Mets within one run. That was the start to a 5 hit, 6 run-inning, highlighted by Pete Alonzo. His bases-clearing double to right-centerfield broke open the game and scored what would be the winning run.
Statistically, the Mets had their highest totals in multiple offensive categories on Sunday. The 17 hit performance is their highest total on the season, while their 8 runs ties their highest run total. Also, the 6-run 8th inning is their highest run total in a single inning.
Individually, the Mets were led by Pillar. He had 3 hits, including the 8th inning home run to start the huge inning. Michael Conforto also had 3 hits with 2 RBIs, while Pete Alonzo had the big 3 RBI double.
Fielding Woes Spoil Harper’s Return
No play in the 8th inning was as crucial as the single from Jose Peraza. The line drive to first base was almost an inning-ending double play but bounced off the glove of the first baseman Hoskins. In frustration, Hoskins took his time getting the ball back into the infield; that gave Jonathan Villar a chance to make a play. As Hoskins lazily flipped the ball in, Villar took off for home. That took the second baseman Nick Maton by surprise, who bobbled the ball and allowed Villar to score.
No error was given on the play, but the defensive miscue turned the would-be double play into a run. That was the story of the game for the Phillies as misplayed balls allowed the Mets’ offense to capitalize. The Phillies were credited with 2 errors but misplayed several balls on the night to give the Mets plenty of opportunities.
