Phillies’ new approach at plate leads to huge rally versus Mets

PHILADELPHIA – Following the Phillies’ disappointing NLDS exit against the Mets, Rob Thomson vowed that there would be change. It did not necessarily mean the Phillies planned to shake up the personnel in the lineup. No. Thomson wanted the Phillies to employ a different approach. One that the team hoped would solve their chasing issues – and make them a more dangerous lineup in October. 

“I think we really have to get them to buy into using the entire field,” Thomson said at the end-of-season press conference in October. “I know everyone talks about chase rate. I think just doing that will cut down on chase rate because you’re going to stay on the ball a little bit better.”

With first place in the NL East on the line and the Mets in town, the Phillies stayed patient, and pounded the ball the other way in a 10-2 win over New York. 

In a six run seventh-inning rally, every ball the Phillies put in play for a hit went either the opposite way or to center field. Brandon Marsh, who appears to be all-in on the all-fields approach, began the inning with a double into the left-field corner. With two strikes, Trea Turner drove a sweeper just off the plate to right field for a double that gave the Phillies a 3-2 lead. 

Alec Bohm got jammed inside, but was still able to find a hole on the right side of the infield for an RBI hit. Castellanos, like Bohm, made contact with a pitch out of the zone and deposited it into center field for the third RBI of the inning. 

To put the game out of reach, Bryson Stott drove a hanging slider to the wall in deep left-center field that – barely – cleared the bases. J.T. Realmuto closely trailed Castellanos on the way home, resulting in a hilarious double slide. 

An inning later, Castellanos jogged around the bases after hitting a two-run home run to left-center field that made it 10-2. 

Starter Zack Wheeler threw five shutout innings against his former team. His command was off early, but the Phillies right-hander was able to induce a ground ball with the bases loaded in the first frame, and find his arm slot later in the outing to keep the Mets lineup off the board. Battling a tight strike zone and a missed check swing call, Wheeler was able to end his outing with a strikeout of Juan Soto. 

A much-deserved victory went to lefty Tanner Banks, who recorded five huge outs to keep the game tied. He threw a scoreless top of the seventh against the Mets’ 1-2-3 of Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Soto.