The Philadelphia Phillies have not had much success against the New York Mets this season.
But with another win on Sunday, the host Phillies would salvage a split of a key four-game series.
The teams split a day-night doubleheader on Saturday, with the Mets winning 8-2 in the opener and the Phillies rallying for a 4-1 victory in the nightcap.
The Phillies are 5-13 against the Mets this season.
“We’re vying for a playoff spot,” Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson said. “We have to settle down, relax and know we’re a good club.”
The Phillies are looking for their first playoff appearance since 2011, when they won 102 games but were eliminated by the St. Louis Cardinals in the divisional round.
Philadelphia won the nightcap Saturday despite not recording a home run for the 10th time in the last 11 games. Alec Bohm had a double and two RBIs, Rhys Hoskins added two hits and an RBI, and J.T. Realmuto hit an RBI single. Jean Segura and Kyle Schwarber had two hits each.
Reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper (broken left thumb) could be back by Sept. 1.
On Sunday, the Phillies will hand the ball to right-hander Kyle Gibson (8-5, 4.30 ERA). In his last start against the Cincinnati Reds, he tossed six innings and allowed six hits and three runs to go with 11 strikeouts and no walks.
“I feel pretty good. I had a couple of rough starts in the middle of the season,” Gibson said after the outing.
The Mets will aim for a series victory when they send rookie right-hander Jose Butto to the mound for his major league debut.
Butto will get the nod since Taijuan Walker was scratched with a bulging disc in his lower back. Walker had been struggling with back spasms but could return in the next few days.
Butto, a highly rated prospect who recently was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse, has added a slider, giving him a four-pitch arsenal.
“Every start, every routine in the bullpen, I try to be better, better, better,” Butto said last week. “I feel really good now that I’ve got a new pitch.”
After scoring 15 runs in the first two games against the Phillies, the Mets were limited to one run and three hits on Saturday night. They were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position with seven left on base.
“We had a good first game,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “We had a couple of opportunities and didn’t cash in. They have some good guys down in the bullpen. We knew it was going to be a challenge.”
Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte and Pete Alonso combined to go 0-for-8, and Brett Baty committed a tough fielding error. Baty also went 0-for-4 and had his average dip to .176.
But Showalter remains confident in his young player.
“He’s going to be good. We’re lucky to have him,” Showalter said. “It’s part of the process. Every guy out there has had those moments. Quite frankly, some really good players.”
–Field Level Media
