Oct 5, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch against the New York Mets in the seventh inning in game one of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
The Phillies played an entire season just to get back to the playoffs, the scene of their 2023 NLCS crime. With a bye week, they had six days to prepare for game one of this year's NLDS.
Their fans were ready.
let's fucking go. pic.twitter.com/GOMP2xiZ1N
Kyle Schwarber was ready.
Alternate angle of the Schwarber home run. Crowd noise only. #RedOctober pic.twitter.com/C8AJp36s4v
Zack Wheeler was ready.
Zack Wheeler today: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 9 K, 111 pitches (68 strikes)
He entered today’s game with the lowest career postseason WHIP in MLB history… and it went down. pic.twitter.com/Knh7PeIlsJ
— John Foley (@2008Philz) October 5, 2024
The rest of the team? Not so much. The Phillies did nothing offensively as inning after inning slipped by. After Schwarber's home run on the third pitch of the game, Mets pitchers allowed just one more hit through seven innings (a bloop single, also by Schwarber). New York got to the Phillies bullpen. And the Mets took game one of the series, 6-2.
Wheeler was done after 111 heroic pitches. Jeff Hoffman started the top of the eighth and promptly allowed a walk and two singles. He exited the game without retiring a batter.
With the score tied 1-1 and the infield drawn in, Matt Strahm surrendered a go-ahead single to Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo. A Pete Alonso sac fly made it 3-1 Mets. Infielder Jose Iglesias singled.
Orion Kerkering took over, the third Phillies pitcher of the inning. It didn't matter.
Kerkering served up yet another Mets single, then a sac fly. The Mets had a 5-1 lead, and it was pretty much curtains for the Phils.
FIVE IN THE EIGHTH pic.twitter.com/1MYhck18ij
The game was every Phillies fan's worst fear: the bats did close to nothing to support Wheeler's brilliant effort.
Can’t think of a more demoralizing start to the postseason than this. The Phillies got their big, emphatic “get CBP rocking” moment with a leadoff homer and could not capitalize on it. Wheeler pitched a gem and the bullpen gets batted around after he leaves. Disaster all around.
This core, this era of Phillies showed their true colors in Games 6 and 7 vs. Arizona.
When someone shows you who they are, believe them.
We have a near-billion dollar roster of choke artists.
Its crushing.
Zack Wheeler: *throws seven shutout innings*
The Phillies offense: pic.twitter.com/1zIS0Om4YW
It's unclear whether the Phillies will be able to recover from this nightmare. It's only one game in a best-of-five, sure. But the Mets took the Phillies' best punch, hung around, and won the game late. It's been New York's M.O. all season. Even the most ardent Mets haters have to admit that the Mets have "that look" about them.
The Phillies, meanwhile, are at their best when they stay loose and sexy (to quote a wise philosopher). Their play in game one was the complete opposite of that.
Phillies are so used to being the vibes team that they have no idea what to do when they’re not the vibes team
45,000+ rabid fans rocking Citizens Bank Park, a leadoff Schwarbomb, and a Zack Wheeler masterclass. All wasted. 6-2 was the final.
I've never hated a Phillies team more.
Game two of the Phillies / Mets NLDS is Sunday. Cristopher Sanchez gets the start for the Phils. First pitch is scheduled for 4:08 p.m.
