The Philadelphia Phillies’ best quality might be their resilience.
Fresh off a comeback win against the New York Mets, the Phillies will aim to capture the rubber match of their three-game series Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia.
The Phillies (89-59) have an eight-game lead over the second-place Mets (81-67) and Atlanta Braves (81-67) in the National League East. However, the Mets and Braves are tied for the NL’s third and final wild-card berth.
All three teams have 14 games remaining, with Philadelphia visiting New York for a four-game series beginning on Thursday.
However, this series got off to a rough start for the Phillies. The Mets cruised to an 11-3 victory on Friday and then jumped to a 4-0 lead Saturday.
The Phillies rallied, though, behind Bryce Harper’s two home runs and a stellar sequence by Cal Stevenson, who delivered the go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh and then robbed the tying home run in the following inning.
The bullpen closed the 6-4 win for Philadelphia, which has captured 10 of its last 13 games.
“I think we have an experienced group,” manager Rob Thomson said. “They have a short memory. … They forget things, and they just move on to the next day. They’ve played long enough where they know they have to just keep moving forward.”
Thomson added that Stevenson could see more action down the stretch.
“He’s had good at-bats,” Thomson said. “He can go get it in the outfield.”
Harper, meanwhile, had not homered since Aug. 9. His two home runs Saturday gave him 150 for his Phillies career. The blasts also helped cool off the Mets, who had been 12-2 in their previous 14 contests.
“That’s a good team over there,” Harper said. “They’re playing really well. Good to be able to get that win today.”
The Mets, of course, are not quite as good without star shortstop Francisco Lindor, who missed Saturday’s contest due to lower back soreness.
“I decided to stay away from him today,” said New York manager Carlos Mendoza, who might not have Lindor again for Sunday’s series finale.
On the bright side, Mendoza was pleased with the play of shortstop Luisangel Acuna, who had two hits in his major league debut.
“Good to see him fight and get us going in the ninth. I thought he was good,” Mendoza said of the 22-year-old, who is the younger brother of Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr.
Perhaps Luisangel Acuna will be back in the lineup Sunday as the Mets face left-hander Cristopher Sanchez (10-9, 3.33 ERA), who has given up just two runs in 13 innings this month. He blanked the Tampa Bay Rays over six frames in his team’s 2-1 win Monday in his last outing.
Sanchez has faced New York once this season, allowing three runs in 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision on May 13. Overall, he is 1-2 with a 4.26 ERA in seven career appearances (four starts).
The Mets will turn Sunday to left-hander David Peterson (9-2, 2.98 ERA), who allowed a season-high five runs (four earned) in his last start Tuesday in a 6-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
“He just didn’t have it, especially the fastball, the command,” Mendoza said after that contest.
The 29-year-old Peterson has not faced the Phillies this season. He is 1-2 with a 5.30 ERA in eight lifetime games (seven starts) against them.
Harper is 7-for-15 with a double and a homer against Peterson.
–Field Level Media