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Phils Win Series Over Mets to Regain First Place, Thanks to Pitching, Homers & Cholly’s Gut

May 3, 2010, 2:00 PM UTC

Remember last week when we lauded the first place Mets? Remember the pats on the back for pitching, defense and timely hitting? Well, it didn’t take long for that to go away, did it?â†µâ†µAfter shellacking the Phillies on Friday night to the tune of 9-1, giving New York’s NL side a 1.5 game lead in the division, the Mets managed five runs off Roy Halladay and Jamie Moyer in the next two games – all off Moyer – while giving up 21. First, the Phillies touched up Mike Pelfrey and crew for 10 runs while Halladay pitched a three-hitter for the home side on Saturday. Not only did the bats not show up against Halladay, but at least two balls popped in and out of Mets’ gloves in what seemed like routine plays, leading to more chances and runs for the Phillies. It was not a great day for New York.â†µ

â†µâ†µRiding the wave of Saturday’s game, the Phils took the Sunday rubber match to regain the lead in the division. Be honest, if you saw 11-5 and knew that Jamie Moyer and Johan Santana were pitching, which team would you think won the game, especially after seeing that Moyer served up a three-run bomb to David Wright in the top of the first?â†µ

â†µâ†µAccording to the national telecast, all was not lost for New York. But was avoiding the sweep really enough for the Mets? According to Orel Hershiser and Joe Morgan on the ESPN telecast, yes.â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥Hershiser: “The Mets can hold their head high because they got themselves back into this race, they’re only .5 game out. Second place.”â†µâ‡¥â†µâ‡¥Morgan: “I think that was the key. To come in here and not be swept by the Phillies as has happened in the past. They came in and won the first game and that, in effect, was really enough. As you said, they can feel good about themselves because they are back in the race and they know that they can deal with the Phillies if they have to later on.”â†µâ‡¥

â†µâ†µDeal with the Phillies if they have to later on? Does that mean in the playoffs, because these two teams will have to deal with each other 15 more times this season. And I’m not sure what Morgan means even if he’s referring to a pennant race, considering the series had three completely lopsided wins, with the Mets getting their win over Kyle Kendrick and the Phillies getting their two over Pelfrey and Johan Santana. It’s not time to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, but one would think a series like that – especially after winning the first game in such convincing fashion – could lead to some concern.â†µ

â†µAnd that seems to be the case in New York. To the Mets, losing the way they did on Sunday with the pitcher they had on the mound is clearly not the way they wanted this series to end. In fact, John Harper of the New York Daily News is already starting to think about what this loss will do to the team's morale.â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥It’s hard to imagine a loss that could do more damage to a team’s psyche.â†µâ‡¥â†µâ‡¥Watching the Mets stand around, their heads hanging in disbelief as Johan Santana was pulled after an unfathomable meltdown, the thought that came to mind was Rex Ryan’s line about how when you hit the quarterback, the whole team feels it.â†µâ‡¥
â†µâ‡¥â†µâ‡¥Likewise, you pummel the ace and, in this case especially, the Mets had to feel it to the bone.â†µâ‡¥

â†µâ†µEh, at least they didn’t get swept, right?â†µâ†µNow, the division lead could change again today as the Mets travel to Cincinnati while the Phillies host the Cardinals. So it’s not as if the Mets are dead and buried after one series loss on the road. But Mets writers, and fans, are right to wonder if there’s something more than one bad inning wrong with Santana. But what a bad inning it was.â†µ

â†µâ†µThink about the scenario. Santana just walked Carlos Ruiz with two outs to load the bases in the bottom of the fourth. No sweat, because the pitcher is up so he was pitching around Ruiz anyway. Phillies fans around the world begged Charlie Manuel to pull an already-infective Moyer for a pinch hitter with the Phillies down 5-3. Sure statistics dictate that Moyer’s chances of getting a hit or a walk are much slimmer than a pinch hitter’s chances. Pat Gallen of Phillies Nation called it:â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥“This is an inexcusable managerial decision on so many levels.”â†µâ†µBut dang it if Manuel didn’t go with his gut and trust his team. Moyer worked a walk, then Santana served up a grand slam to Shane Victorino before giving up another home run – a two run shot to Chase Utley just two batters later – before getting sent to the showers after giving up 10 runs. It did seem that, despite all the pleas by Phils fans, it was the other Manuel managing last night – Jerry – who left his starter in too long.â†µâ†µMoyer, who was bad up to that point in the game, rewarded his manager with two-straight 1-2-3 innings. Oh, and he got a single too, before getting thrown out trying to score from second on a ball hit to Jeff Francoeur.â†µ

â†µâ†µThe lesson in all of that: baseball is hilarious. Sometimes going with your gut pays off, while sometimes – like a pitcher in his late 40’s running on an arm like Francoeur’s to make the final out at home when the bases would have been loaded – the sport gets the best of you. For now, Uncle Cholly’s gut has the Phils back in first place. And after taking a year off, one of the best rivalries in the sport is definitely back as well.â†µ

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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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