Gabriel Ynoa was a little shaky, but kept the Mets in Game 162 by only allowing one run in his 4.2 innings. However, the Phillies celebrated Ryan Howard’s final game with the team by doing damage to the bullpen in the seventh. However, this game was largely uneventful, as the Mets rested players and pulled starters early in anticipation of Wednesday’s Wild Card matchup at Citi Field.
BATS STRUGGLE AGAINST PHILLIES’ STARTER EICKHOFF
Phillies’ starter Jerad Eickhoff flummoxed the Mets over his final six innings of the season, much as he has done throughout his young career. New York’s bats came out swinging early and often, and Eickhoff was able to get through the first inning on only seven pitches, including a strikeout of Jay Bruce. He commanded his 90-91 mph fastball well, but his real out pitch is still his stellar curveball, on which he generated several strikeouts in this outing.
Curtis Granderson was the team’s first baserunner with a leadoff walk in the fourth, and he was replaced by pinch-hitter Juan Lagares. He was promptly thrown out by catcher Cameron Rupp, just before Bruce singled for the Mets’ first hit of the day. New York finally broke through in the sixth, as Matt Reynolds doubled on a well-placed ground ball and was brought home by an Alejandro De Aza single up the middle. Eickhoff’s day was done after the sixth, having accumulated eight strikeouts while only allowing one walk and one run.
Reliever Colton Murray came in in the seventh, and struggled some to command his 94-95 mph fastball. Kelly Johnson was able to single and steal second base, and was eventually brought home on Kevin Plawecki’s line-drive double. Murray would get through the inning, while Michael Mariot and Joely Rodriguez shared a clean eighth. De facto closer Hector Neris closed out the Phillies’ season while silencing the Mets, who probably spent most of this game trying to get back to New York as soon as possible.
GABRIEL YNOA IS HIS SERVICEABLE SELF
Ynoa did exactly exactly what he was asked to do today, with a little bit of fastball command shakiness for good measure. He allowed five hits (all singles, including two to Maikel Franco), but only allowed one hit. He managed to work an even faster first inning than Eickhoff (only requiring five pitches), and suffered no damage in the second inning.
In the third, three singles sequenced in such a way as to score the first run of the game on a Franco RBI, but that would be all of the damage Ynoa would allow. He got his final five outs efficiently and mostly without incident. On the day, 80 percent of his batted balls were ground balls, and threw only 52 pitches. It’s interesting that he didn’t even get to finish the fifth inning, but Terry Collins instead decided to go to the bullpen.
BULLPEN STRUGGLES TO RECORD OUTS IN THE SEVENTH
Jerry Blevins came in and got out Odubel Herrera to end the fifth, and that was all that was to be asked of him on the evening. Josh Smoker worked around a hit to get through the sixth cleanly. Erik Goeddel struggled in general, and failed to record an out. He gave up a walk and two hits, allowing one of the runs to score while he was on the mound. Josh Edgin’s line on the box score looks clean, but he allowed the sacrifice fly that scored the third run of the inning. In the eighth inning, Jim Henderson closed out the game for Mets’ pitching, but allowed an RBI single to Aaron Altherr before all was said and done. This was the final run scored in the game, and the Mets fell 5-2.
UP NEXT
With the regular season completed, the Mets await the San Francisco Giants in the NL Wild Card Game on Wednesday, at Citi Field. New York was able to line up their schedule to have Noah Syndergaard available to start, which is very good. However, the Giants were able to clinch their spot on the last day of the season AND have worked their schedule in such a way as to have Madison Bumgarner available to start – which is bad. It’s also an even year, which basically makes this game meaningless, but the Mets will give it their best shot regardless.
Photo credit: Bill Streicher – USA Today Sports