If you’re a Phillies fan, you already know how this movie goes. Mets walk in. Phillies stumble. And no matter the standings, no matter the month, no matter the cast of characters—New York seems to have the ending written before the first pitch.
It happened again two weeks ago in Queens. The Mets swept the Phillies, tightening the NL East race and sending the whispers through Broad Street taverns and SEPTA trains: Same old Mets problem. Same old Phillies letdown.
But baseball has a way of rewriting scripts on the fly. Since that weekend debacle, the Phillies (83-60) have gone 7-3. The Mets (76-67) have gone the other way, dropping six of 10. What looked like a division suddenly in play now looks like a series that could all but end the drama—if Philadelphia can finally exorcise its blue-and-orange ghost.
Of course, nothing comes easy against the Mets. Not this year. Not last year. Not with scars still fresh from that NLDS exit. New York has won seven of nine from the Phillies this season. They’ve ripped off 10 straight over Philly at Citi Field. And they already have the tiebreaker in hand if the division comes down to a dead heat.
So here come the Phillies again, minus their $300 million shortstop. Trea Turner’s hamstring gave out on Sunday, robbing this club of its catalyst just as the stakes hit their peak. “It’s never a good time for this,” Turner admitted, frustration pouring through every word. He’s right. And in Philadelphia, those words echo like a warning siren.
On the other side? The Mets are countering with the new kid in town—rookie Nolan McLean, unbeaten in four starts, fresh off mowing down the Tigers in Detroit. Two weeks ago he blanked the Phillies over eight innings in New York. And he’ll stroll into South Philly tonight carrying the kind of aura that makes old Mets fans mutter about Doc Gooden all over again.
The Phillies’ answer is Aaron Nola, who hasn’t looked like Aaron Nola. Not this year. Not last week, when Milwaukee had him down five runs before fans had even sat down with their bratwursts. He says he just has to “limit the big innings.” Around here, they’ve heard that one before.
That’s the tension that will hang over this four-game set. It’s not just about division leads or playoff seeds. It’s about pride. About the one opponent that still has a chokehold on the city’s confidence. And about whether this Phillies team—second-best record in baseball, second-best odds to win it all—can finally silence the one voice that keeps saying not against the Mets.
Pitching Matchup
Monday: RHP Aaron Nola (3-8, 6.78) vs. RHP Nolan McLean (4-0, 1.37)
Tuesday: LHP Ranger Suarez (11-6. 2.89) vs. LHP Sean Manaea (1-2, 5.60)
Wednesday: LHP Cristopher Sanchez (12-5, 2.60) vs. RHP Clay Holmes (11-7, 3.61)
Thursday: TBD vs. LHP David Peterson (9-5, 3.72)
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