Phillies can’t secure sweep, lose to Mets in extras

Final Score: Mets 6, Phillies 5 (11 innings)

The rare home-and-home sweep wasn’t to be. After winning both games of a quick two-game set at Citi Field earlier this week, and winning on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies were unable to win their fourth straight game against the Mets on Thursday.

After a pair of late-inning comebacks, Rob Thomson’s club found itself in extra innings for the third time in five days. Right-hander José Ruiz turned in a crucial scoreless, two-inning outing that spanned the ninth and 10th innings. Ruiz’s scoreless ninth allowed the Phillies to tie the game in the bottom of the inning with just one run. His scoreless 10th meant all they needed was a run to win the game in the bottom of that inning.

The Phillies had two runners on to start the home half of the 10th inning, but Alec Bohm grounded into a double play and Nick Castellanos flew out to end the inning, sending the game to the 11th.

José Alvarado was called upon to keep the game tied or, at the very least, within a run. He was unable to do either.

J.D. Martinez led off the top of the 11th with a single that scored Francisco Lindor. Next up was Harrison Bader, who doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third with no outs. Alvarado nearly got out of the jam, but after notching back-to-back strikeouts, he threw a wild pitch. Martinez scored on the play, giving the Mets a two-run cushion.

The Phillies worked the bases loaded against lefty Jake Diekman in the bottom of the frame but were only able to score one run on a Bryson Stott groundout. Kyle Schwarber struck out to end the game with runners on the corners.

Highlights

• The Mets scored the first two runs of Thursday’s game. Pete Alonso homered to left-center field in the first inning and Starling Marte scored from second base on a second-inning double by Brett Baty.
• With one out in the third inning, Taijuan Walker was removed from the game after taking a 99.7 mph batted ball off his foot.

• Matt Strahm came on in relief of Walker and got out of a first-and-second-with-one-out jam. Strahm remained in the game for the fourth inning and tossed a 1-2-3 frame with a pair of strikeouts.
• The Phillies tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Facing Reed Garrett, who was brought into the game out of the bullpen to face Alec Bohm, the Phillies’ third baseman plated J.T. Realmuto from second base, and moved Bryce Harper from first to third, with a left-field single. Harper scored one batter later on a Nick Castellanos sacrifice fly.

• In the seventh, Bryson Stott pinch-hit for Cristian Pache and worked a two-out walk. Kyle Schwarber was up next and he placed a hard-hit ball into right field that kept rolling toward the corner, allowing Stott to score from first, giving the Phillies the lead.

• After the first two batters reached base, the Mets scored a pair of runs off Jeff Hoffman to retake the lead in the eighth inning. Tyrone Taylor scored on a Harrison Bader single — the ball bounced off Hoffman and leaked into center field — and Alonso scored on a wild pitch.
• Down by a run in the ninth, Stott found himself in the batter’s box with a runner on second against Mets’ closer Edwin Díaz, whom he homered against to spark a late-game rally on Monday. Stott delivered against New York’s closer again, driving in Brandon Marsh to tie the game.

Notes

• Strahm’s scoreless appearance on Thursday was his 17th consecutive outing without allowing a run, the longest streak by a Phillies pitcher since Holby Milner put together a stretch of 21 straight scoreless appearances in 2017.
• After a pair of defensive miscues on Wednesday, Johan Rojas wasn’t in Thursday’s starting lineup. Manager Rob Thomson explained pregame that Rojas wasn’t in the lineup because he had played three days in a row, not because of his defensive mistakes. Rojas did enter the game as a pinch-runner in the 11th inning.

Ticket IQ Next Game

• Friday, May 17 vs. Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park
• 6:40 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
• Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
• Spanish Radio: WTTM 1680

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