Mets muster as many hits as errors in 6-1 loss to Phillies

The Mets couldn’t get their offense going, and the pitching and defense weren’t up to snuff in a 6-1 loss to the Phillies on Saturday afternoon.

New York made three errors, matching their hit total, and multiple defensive miscues, while the combination of Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga just couldn’t keep the Phillies off the board.

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Here are the takeaways….

-The start time for Saturday’s game was pushed up due to impending weather, and both teams seemed off, especially in the field. Trea Turner made his 14th error of the season, and Carson Benge booted a ball he tried to pick up in right field. Marcus Semien, first start since being activated off the IL, botched a transfer on a double play ball and there was also a play where Francisco Lindor nearly tripped over himself as he was ranging to his left on a throw to first. Eric Wagaman saved Lindor from an error by keeping a toe on the bag.

Even Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo seemed uncomfortable at times on the mound, stopping to pace and, as the SNY broadcast pointed out, it looked like he was “pitching mad.” But the southpaw made it through five innings, allowing just one run on two hits and two walks, striking out seven.

-Manaea had a tough start to the second half of his season. After Turner reached with a leadoff infield single, Kyle Schwarber launched his MLB-leading 33rd home run of the season into the second deck in right field.

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The Mets southpaw pitched through trouble in multiple innings — some not of his own making — but Manaea was not efficient enough. He had thrown 73 pitches through four innings and that affected his ability to give New York length. In the fifth, Turner led off with a solo shot, his second in the series, to put the Phillies up 3-1.

Francisco Alvarez made a two-base throwing error, trying to pick off Schwarber at first base. Alec Bohm brought Schwarber home to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead. But after allowing a couple of more base runners, Manaea’s day was done after 4.2 innings. Manaea allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven. His ERA rose to 4.74.

–Tyrone Taylor, starting in left field with Juan Soto DHing after the slugger exited Thursday’s game with calf soreness, got the Mets scoring going with a 406-foot solo shot in the second inning. But that was all the offense the Mets would receive. They had just three hits total — Taylor picking up two of them — and their futility with RISP continued.

Mets entered Saturday 1-for-30 (.033) with RISP in their last four games, and on Saturday, they went 0-for-3 with five left on base.

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-Senga wrapped up the fifth for Manaea, but it wasn’t too easy. He walked J.T. Realmuto, the first batter he faced, on eight pitches to load the bases. He bounced back to strike out Derek Hill on five pitches.

Senga’s second inning of work did not go as well. The right-hander allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in the sixth to put the game out of reach at 6-1. Senga came out for the seventh and after allowing a single to Realmuto, the heavens opened and the rain started to come down hard. The game was halted due to a delay, but resumed about 45 minutes later.

Senga finished, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks across 1.1 innings. He also struck out two batters and now has an 8.85 ERA.

Game MVP: The Phillies

Philadelphia pitched well and hit well in an overall dominant win.

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Highlights