NEW YORK — Those walks will kill you.
So will those triples over the rightfielder’s head.
The Phillies are off to a 1-4 start after suffering a 4-2 loss to the New York Mets at blustery Citi Field on Wednesday afternoon.
Amed Rosario, the Mets’ No. 9 hitter, broke a 2-2 tie with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning when he drove a two-run triple over rightfielder Nick Williams’ head. The triple scored Asdrubal Cabrera and Wilmer Flores, both of whom had walked against right-hander Drew Hutchison.
Williams was playing extremely shallow against the right-handed hitting Rosario. Had Williams not been positioned so shallow, he might have been able to run down the ball for the third out (see story).
It was the second straight game in which the Phils were burned by their own defensive alignment. In the sixth inning of Tuesday night’s game, they failed to turn a double play because they were in an infield shift (see story). The Mets then scored two runs in the inning en route to a 2-0 win.
MLB
The Phillies have lost three in a row as they head back to Philadelphia for the home opener against Miami on Thursday afternoon (3:05 p.m./NBC10).
The Phils have scored just four runs in those three losses. Their hitters struck out 15 times Wednesday for a total of 26 in the two games in New York.
Aaron Nola survived a rocky first inning in which he threw 32 pitches, walked two and served up a two-run homer to Yoenis Cespedes on his way to five innings of two-run ball. He was at 87 pitches after five innings and manager Gabe Kapler went to his bullpen.
The Phillies scored both of their runs in the third inning, breaking a 19-inning scoreless drought that stretched back to the first inning in Atlanta on Saturday night. Nick Williams plated one of the runs with a ground out and Carlos Santana scored the other on a swipe of home when Rhys Hoskins got snagged in a rundown between first and second.
The Phillies had just five hits. Shortstop J.P. Crawford is one of several Phillies scuffling in the early going. He was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. Overall, he is 1 for 15 with five strikeouts and one walk.
Odubel Herrera did not start for the second time in five games. He was 1 for 17 lifetime against Mets starter Noah Syndergaard.
In health news, reliever Pat Neshek, on the disabled list with a sore shoulder, had an MRI. It showed no significant injury. However, Neshek will remain shut down for another two weeks before he starts throwing.
Meanwhile, Mark Leiter Jr. has been cleared to start a throwing program. He is on the DL with a strained flexor muscle in his right arm.
Nick Pivetta gets the ball in Thursday’s home opener. He will face Miami lefty Caleb Smith.