Even in a lopsided victory, the Philadelphia Phillies’ inconsistent ways continued Saturday afternoon.
Unfortunately for the New York Mets, consistency has been their biggest problem.
The Phillies and the Mets will each look to earn a series win Sunday afternoon, when Philadelphia hosts New York in the finale of a three-game series between the National League East rivals.
Alan Rangel (0-2, 4.19 ERA) is slated to start for the Phillies against fellow rookie right-hander Nolan McLean (6-6, 3.52).
Trea Turner had three hits, including a homer, and scored three runs Saturday as the Phillies cruised to a 6-1 win.
The six runs were the most for the Phillies since July 4, when they beat the Kansas City Royals, 6-1. Philadelphia has scored more than four runs just five times in 13 games this month, during which it’s gone 7-6 while never winning or losing more than two straight contests.
The Phillies could have had an even bigger afternoon Saturday, when J.T. Realmuto was stranded at third in the second inning, and Edmundo Sosa and Brandon Marsh were left at the corners in the fourth. But Philadelphia put the game away by scoring twice apiece in the fifth and sixth.
The Phillies remain a half-game behind the Chicago Cubs in the race for the top NL wild-card spot and three games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins, who are in a virtual tie for the last NL playoff berth.
“Had a couple innings there — (those) type of innings that make you nervous,” interim Phillies manager Don Mattingly said. “You look at those and you feel like sometimes they’re going to come back to haunt you. Today, it didn’t. Obviously, we were able to keep pushing.”
The Mets’ woes on both sides of the ball continued Saturday, when they had as many hits (three) as errors. Only one of the errors — catcher Francisco Alvarez’s errant pickoff throw trying to nab Kyle Schwarber at first in the fifth — led to a run, but the all-around sloppiness symbolized New York’s disappointing season.
New York, which is in last place in the NL East and on pace for its worst season since 2003 (66-95, .410), ranks 28th in the majors with a .682 OPS while committing 69 errors, second-most behind the Washington Nationals (76).
The Mets ranked sixth in the big leagues last season with a .753 OPS and committed 79 errors, after which president of baseball operations David Stearns emphasized run prevention during an overhaul that shuffled Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo out of town.
But New York has scored one run or fewer 22 times this season after doing so just a major league-low 21 times last season.
“You have to take the mentality that you’re going to score, that you’re going to make plays, that you’re going to defend the field,” interim Mets manager Andy Green said. “I think a little bit of a mentality shift is a positive thing in that setting.”
Rangel was tagged with the loss in his most recent start July 8, when he gave up three runs over 3 1/3 innings as the Phillies were routed by the host Cincinnati Reds, 11-5.
McLean took the defeat on July 10 after allowing a pair of unearned runs as the Mets fell to the visiting Boston Red Sox, 6-2.
Rangel lost his lone appearance against the Mets on June 27, when he surrendered four runs over four innings in the Phillies’ 6-2 road loss. McLean is 1-1 with an 0.68 ERA in two career starts a year ago against Philadelphia.
–Field Level Media
