Jean Segura’s monster day saves Phillies from Labor Day disaster

Final: Phillies 9, Mets 8

For the first four innings of Monday afternoon’s matchup with the New York Mets, it looked as though Zack Wheeler was going to make a statement against the team that allowed him to walk in free agency this past offseason.

Instead, though, the game became the latest example of the team’s bullpen woes in 2020. Fortunately for the Phillies, though, Jean Segura drove in five runs Monday, including what turned to be the game-winning home run. Segura’s heroics helped the Phillies to win a game that featured their second blown six-run lead in 2020.

Top Plays

• In the top of the first inning, Mets starter David Peterson loaded the bases. Jean Segura was kind enough to promptly unload them, clearing the bases with a double:

• An inning later, Rhys Hoskins added onto the lead, homering for the second time in the series, a 369-foot home run to left field that also brought Andrew McCutchen home:

• Just as Hoskins had tied him for the team lead in home runs, J.T. Realmuto became the first Phillie to reach double digits in home runs in 2020, as he scalded a 402-foot opposite-field shot:

• Following four dominant innings from Wheeler, the Mets got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning, with RBI doubles coming from Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis and Dominic Smith:

• Robinson Canó hit into a fielder’s choice in the top of the seventh while facing JoJo Romero. A run was able to score because Didi Gregorius, for the second consecutive day, made an erratic throw. Michael Conforto, who began the play on second base, scored on an ill-fated attempt by Gregorius to turn a double play.
• Jeff McNeil hit a 395-foot bomb with two runners on base later in the inning, allowing the Mets to take a one-run lead in a game that they once trailed 7-6:

• The Phillies were able to tie the game in the top of the eighth inning, with Alec Bohm going the other way with a single, which plated Jean Segura. Unfortunately for the Phillies, the damage stopped there, as Andrew Knapp got caught in an inning-ending rundown after taking too wide of a turn around third base.
• In the top of the 10th inning, Bryce Harper advanced Hoskins to third base with a fly ball to right field. Unfortunately for the Phillies, Hoskins went on contact when a ball was hit directly to shortstop Andrés Giménez off the bat of Realmuto. Giménez, who had an incredible day in the field, fired home and Hoskins got caught in a rundown.
• Fortunately for the Phillies, Jean Segura saved the day with two outs, lining a 423-foot home run over the left-center field wall, giving the Phillies the 9-7 lead they would eventually win the game by:

• Héctor Neris did allow the inherited runner that started the bottom of the 10th inning to score, with Brandon Nimmo driving him home. Ultimately, Neris was able to close out what was a wild game, saving the Phillies one-run lead on a fly ball that Davis hit to the warning track.

Shibe Vintage Sports Starting Pitching Performance

• Mets lefty David Peterson won’t look back at this holiday with fond memories. The 25-year-old walked four, gave up three hits and surrendered five runs Monday. He needed 70 pitches to complete just two innings.
• Through his first four innings, Zack Wheeler looked as though he had a chance to toss a complete game. Instead, the 30-year-old unraveled in the fifth inning, surrendering three RBI doubles. Across six innings, Wheeler allowed six hits and three runs. It wasn’t an awful start, but the way that he got there left a bad taste in your mouth.

Postgame Phillies Nuggets

1. “I think he has probably been overlooked a little bit, but not by us,” Joe Girardi told the media after the game in regards to the value Jean Segura has brought to the Phillies with his positional flexibility.
2. “Yeah, tomorrow I’m going to dress two hours before the game,” Segura joked after saying that he got dressed an hour-and-a-half before today’s game, as opposed to his normal routine of 45 minutes before the game.
3. “No, not necessarily,” Zack Wheeler said when asked about whether any special memories came back to him when he took the mound at Citi Field for the first time as a visitor.

Ticket IQ Next Game

• Doubleheader vs. the Boston Red Sox on Sept. 8 at Citizens Bank Park
• Game 1 starts at 4:05 p.m. ET
• NBC Sports Philadelphia
• SportsRadio 94 WIP

MORE FROM PHILLIES NATION

1. 30 Numbers To Remember At Midpoint Of 2020 Season
2. Watch: One Phillie Apologized To Jackie Robinson For Ben Chapman’s Racism
3. Rhys Hoskins: ‘Change Starts With These Conversations’
4. McCutchen And Girardi On A Jackie Robinson Day That Felt ‘A Little Different’
5. Roman Quinn, The Fastest Man In Baseball, Idolized Jimmy Rollins
6. Nick Pivetta’s Career In Philadelphia: A Brief Post-Mortem
7. Girardi On Fernando Tatís Jr.: ‘Let The Players Play‘
8. Andrew Knapp Is Off To An Incredible Start In 2020
9. After Setback, David Robertson Is Out For The Season
10. Phillies’ 2020 Walk-Up Songs