Phils' offense wakes up, clobbers Mets for the series win

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The Phillies turned on the power Wednesday and rolled to an 8-2 win over the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park.

Alec Bohm and J.T. Realmuto both clubbed three-run homers and Rhys Hoskins belted a solo shot as the Phillies continued their hot start to the new season.

The Phils’ three homers were one more than they hit in their first five games of the season.

After six games, the Phillies are 5-1. They swept the Atlanta Braves in the season-opening three-game series and took two of three from the Mets.

The Phillies also got off to a 5-1 start in 2019. They finished that season 81-81 and in fourth place in the NL East, 16 games behind the division champion Braves.

Aaron Nola’s day

Starter Aaron Nola had an interesting outing. He lasted only four innings and ran up a high pitch count, but he got a number of big outs and left the game leading, 4-1.

Nola allowed three singles and a run in the third inning but limited the damage by striking out Dominic Smith and Jonathan Villar to get the second and third outs with a pair of runners on base. Nola got Smith on a curveball and Villar on a 94-mph fastball.

In the fourth inning, Nola gave up a one-out single then walked a batter with two outs and hit another to load the bases for Michael Conforto. In a dangerous situation, Nola got ahead of Conforto, 0-2, and struck him out looking at a 2-2 curveball. It was Nola’s last batter of the game and his 92nd pitch, but it proved to be a big out.

Good day for the ‘pen

With Nola gone early, the Phillies’ bullpen had to pick up five innings. It wasn’t a problem. Connor Brogdon, Archie Bradley, Sam Coonrod and Hector Neris held the Mets to one run over that span.

Brogdon has picked up the win in three of the Phillies’ five victories.

The Phillies’ bullpen has picked up nine innings the last two days so Thursday’s off day will come in handy.

Hoskins comes out hot

In addition to his first homer of the season, Hoskins had two doubles. He has hit in all six of the Phillies’ games so far and has seven extra-base hits, six of which are doubles.

He is one of four players in Phillies history to have seven extra-base hits through the team’s first six games. The others were Ryan Howard (2010), John Kruk (1993) and Del Ennis (1950). No Phillie has ever had more than seven extra-base hits in the team’s first six games.

Mets’ struggles

The Mets had 11 hits in the game, but they were just 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position. They left 14 men on base.

Hittin’ it hard

The Phillies jumped on Mets lefty David Peterson for four runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Hoskins launched a one-out homer to right-center. Bryce Harper followed with a double to right and Realmuto walked. That set up Bohm for his first homer of the season, a scorching three-run shot to center.

Hoskins’ homer was the softest of the Phillies’ hits in that inning and it really wasn’t hit softly. It came off the bat at 100 mph. Bohm’s homer came off the bat at 110.9 mph and Harper’s double topped them all at 116 mph.

Up next

The Phillies are on the road for the next seven games, three in Atlanta followed by four against the Mets in New York.

Here are the pitching matchups for the weekend series in Atlanta:

  • Friday night – Zack Wheeler (1-0, 0.00) vs Charlie Morton (0-1, 5.40)
  • Saturday night – Zach Eflin (0-0, 1.29) vs. Ian Anderson (0-0, 1.80)
  • Sunday night – Matt Moore (0-0, 5.40) vs. Drew Smyly (0-0, 3.00)

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