Phillies Rout Mets 9-3, Deal Blow to New York’s NL East Hopes
Sean Manaea falters early, Ranger Suárez dominates and Mets bullpen allows late damage in fourth straight loss
PHILADELPHIA — The New York Mets’ NL East hopes took another hit Tuesday night as the Philadelphia Phillies beat them 9-3, handing New York a fourth straight loss and tightening an already precarious late-season picture.
Sean Manaea was knocked around early, the Mets’ offense was largely stymied by Ranger Suárez, and the bullpen surrendered additional damage in a game that was effectively out of reach after two innings. New York fell to 76-69; the Mets entered play three games ahead of the San Francisco Giants, whose game had not yet finished, leaving the wild-card race suddenly more pressing for the club.
Manaea allowed four runs by the end of the second inning and needed 96 pitches to record 15 outs, the latest example of lingering length problems for the left-hander. He finished with five innings pitched, giving up four runs on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts; his ERA has risen to 7.71 over his past seven starts. The early damage came when Nick Castellanos’ RBI double produced two runs in the first, and Otto Kemp followed with a changeup he punished before Harrison Bader blasted a sweeper for a solo homer in the second.
Suárez held the Mets in check for six innings, striking out 12 batters and allowing a single hit through the first four frames. New York’s lineup managed only one hit off Suárez, a Brandon Nimmo single that opened the fifth and was followed by a double play. Suárez struck out Juan Soto three times as the Mets failed to generate sustained offense against the lefty.
The Phillies added to their lead against New York’s bullpen later in the game. Kyle Schwarber launched a three-run homer in the seventh off Justin Hagenman — Schwarber’s 50th of the season — and the Mets’ relief corps allowed additional runs in the eighth, turning a manageable deficit into a rout. Hagenman, who yielded Schwarber’s blast, also yielded runs in the subsequent inning as the Phillies turned the game into a party at Citizens Bank Park.
Justin Hagenman’s difficulties extended the scoring gap and underscored broader concerns about the Mets’ relief depth, which has been inconsistent throughout September. New York did put together small rallies late: Mark Vientos hit a solo homer in the seventh, Soto had an RBI single in the eighth and the Mets plated a run in the ninth, but those moves only reduced the final margin.
Manager Carlos Mendoza will face difficult decisions about the rotation as the season closes. The Mets already removed Frankie Montas and Kodai Senga from the rotation earlier in the year; with Manaea’s recent struggles and limited length, his place in the immediate rotation and in a potential short postseason series is in question. Manaea has recorded just two outs in the sixth inning across several recent starts and has not provided the consistent length the staff needs.
The loss continued a stretch in which the Mets’ offense has been uneven: New York has totaled 16 hits across three games and scored 15 runs in its last six games, a run that has included both productive and quiet outings but has not provided enough support for inconsistent pitching. With the division likely out of reach following the sweep in Philadelphia, the Mets will shift focus toward vying for a wild-card spot, where margin for error is slim and bullpen performance will be critical.
The teams were scheduled to meet again in the series on Wednesday, giving the Mets another opportunity to respond, stabilize their rotation choices and present a more reliable bullpen plan as the regular season heads into its final weeks.