LONDON — Look children, there’s Massive Ben, Parliament, a missed defensive play by the Mets.
It’s been a theme this season — the Mets had been second-to-last within the main leagues defensively by one measure as play started — and Saturday they took it to a brand new continent: Starling Marte stopped brief on a fly ball to proper discipline that ought to have been caught to retire the Phillies within the fourth inning.
As a substitute, the ball fell, together with the Mets in a 7-2 loss in entrance of 53,882 at London Stadium.
Marte’s non-catch allowed the Phillies to pile on 5 runs in opposition to Sean Manaea in an inning by which Bryce Harper’s solo homer might need in any other case been the one injury.
The Mets by no means recovered and had a three-game successful streak snapped.
The Mets will obtain one other alternative within the London Collection on Sunday earlier than heading again to New York.
Getting into the day, the Mets had been twenty ninth in MLB in Defensive Runs Saved at minus-30.
Marte was a key contributor to that statistic at minus-9 in proper discipline.
Manaea allowed just one base runner over the primary three innings, nevertheless it all crumbled for him within the fourth, when he confronted 9 batters and surrendered six runs, with Marte’s non-play a key issue.
Manaea’s outing of three 2/3 innings matched his shortest of the season.
Marte stroked an RBI double within the first in opposition to Ranger Suarez that gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.
Francisco Lindor smacked a leadoff double and J.D. Martinez was hit by a pitch with two outs earlier than Marte delivered to proceed his scorching bat in opposition to the Phillies.
Getting into play he owned a .370 lifetime batting common in 79 profession video games in opposition to the Phillies – the best mark by an energetic participant in opposition to a person group with a minimal of 200 at-bats.
However Marte’s day was about to worsen: With two outs within the fourth and just one run throughout, Marte stopped on Edmundo Sosa’s fly to proper discipline.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Publish
The ball fell for an RBI single and the following batter, Whit Merrifield, blasted a three-run homer that sank the Mets in a 5-1 gap.
The Phillies began a brand new rally within the inning with Cristian Pache’s double and Kyle Schwarber’s RBI single that gave the Phillies a 6-1 lead.
Manaea exited and Sean Reid-Foley recorded the ultimate out.
Lindor singled main off the fifth and after Pete Alonso doubled, raced dwelling on Martinez’s floor out, pulling the Mets inside 6-2.
Suarez was eliminated with two outs within the sixth following consecutive singles by Jose Iglesias and Luis Torrens, who’ve supplied stunning contributions on the backside of the lineup during the last week.
Orion Kerkering entered to strike out Lindor, ending the risk.
Nick Castellanos homered in opposition to Danny Younger within the eighth to increase the Phillies’ result in 7-2.
