The New York Mets missed an opportunity to secure a series victory Sunday night, falling 6-2 to the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The loss dropped New York to 34-43 and kept the Mets in last place in the National League East, while Philadelphia improved to 42-35 by claiming the rubber game of the three-game set.
The Mets found themselves in an early hole against former teammate Zack Wheeler and never recovered. David Peterson struggled through four innings, allowing five runs (four earned), and Kyle Schwarber delivered the decisive blow with a three-run homer in the second inning that stretched Philadelphia’s lead to 5-0.
Carson Benge provided one of the few offensive highlights for New York, launching a solo homer to right field in the third inning. The rookie added another run in the sixth when A.J. Ewing drove in Benge on a fielder’s choice after Wheeler loaded the bases.
Peterson settled down after Schwarber’s blast, retiring eight straight batters before exiting after four innings. He allowed six hits, walked two and struck out five while his ERA climbed to 6.09.
Wheeler controlled the game despite occasional command issues, limiting the Mets to two runs across 5.2 innings while striking out seven. New York managed only four hits and went quiet after scratching across its second run in the sixth.
Bo Bichette’s struggles continued as he finished 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, ending a difficult series in which he collected just one hit in 12 at-bats. Bryce Harper paced Philadelphia with a 3-for-4 performance, while Schwarber continued his torrid stretch with another home run.
The Mets return to Citi Field on Monday to open a four-game series against the Chicago Cubs at 7:10 p.m. Kodai Senga is scheduled to start for New York against Shota Imanaga.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.