Oct 5, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos (27) reacts after driving in the tying run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the eighth inning in game one of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Ask anyone in the sport of baseball and they'll tell you that pitching wins in October.
But it can lose as well.
Case in point was in the Phillies 6-2 loss to the New York Mets in Game 1 of the NLDS.
And while the score is a good indicator that the Phillies offense was nowhere to be found - and it truly wasn't after a Kyle Schwarber leadoff homer in the first inning - the reality was that the Phillies were six outs away from winning Game 1 when everything went to hell.
Zack Wheeler had pitched an absolute gem for the Phillies, allowing just one hit through seven innings while striking out nine. But after 111 pitches, Phillies manager Rob Thomson had to turn it over to his bullpen.
The Phillies then had their two All-Star relievers, Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm, face six batters and get just one out.
In a 24-minute inning, the Mets nickel-and-dimed the Phillies bullpen and posted a five run eighth inning on five hits and a walk.
"It was stunning," said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. "It was. To see Hoffy and Strahmy give it up like that. That's baseball sometimes. They haven't done that since we've had them, really."
Well, that's not necessarily true. Hoffman had a blowup inning in early August in Seattle where he allowed four runs and then did so again in the final weekend of the season in Washington.
But those were outliers in an otherwise tremendous season for Hoffman.
But the regular season is the regular season. The playoffs are a different animal and you need your best relievers to pitch well in tight spots if you are going to be the last team standing.
And after an incredible outing by Wheeler, the Phillies two best relievers couldn't get three outs.
Phillies reliever Matt Strahm talks about their Game 1 loss to the Mets pic.twitter.com/Xy1XRmFm9f
"They smelled blood in the water and got scrappy and we got got," Strahm said.
The worst part about it for the Phillies was both guys had an 0-2 count on five consecutive batters - all of whom either reached base or drove in a run.
Francisco Lindor worked a walk off Hoffman - although there was a foul ball at the plate that had a delayed call of foul after Lindor petitioned that he tipped it.
And Vientos drove a slider to left field to plate the first Mets run.
MARKY MARK pic.twitter.com/ObnSp4cfZH
"I would have liked it to break a little bit more, but I threw it in a pretty good spot," Hoffman said. "We'll see how he handles it tomorrow."
Hoffman would obviously like another crack at Vientos in Game 2.
Unable to get an out in Game 1 though, Thomson turned to Strahm with runners at second and third and nobody out.
Strahm, who is usually very good at getting out of dirty innings, faced three batters. He threw 17 pitches. All 17 were strikes. Each batter got down 0-2. Each batter put eventually the ball in play.
Brandon Nimmo hit an opposite field single to put the Mets in front. Pete Alonso hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1 and Jose Iglesias fouled off seven 0-2 pitches before lacing a single to centerfield.
NIMMO FOR THE LEAD!!! pic.twitter.com/wdzJTYrEmp
"Nitpicking, in hindsight, obviously not," Strahm said when asked if he put the pitches where he wanted them. "But, I mean, I've said it my entire career. I throw strikes. I attack. And with that, you are going to give up 0-2 hits. But I'm also going to get a lot of outs really quick."
He just didn't on Saturday.
With Strahm unable to close the door on the Mets, Thomson then turned to Orion Kerkering who gave up a single to pinch hitter J.D. Martinez and a sacrifice fly to Starling Marte.
By the time Kerkering got Tyrone Taylor to pop up and finally end the carnage, the Phillies turned a 1-0 lead into a 5-1 deficit.
For all intent and purposes, the game was over.
It was a frustrating night for the Phillies as a team, even if the relievers themselves won't admit to feeling that emotion.
Phillies reliever Jeff Hoffman talks about his performance in their Game 1 loss to the Mets. @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/9LraVmIoNK
"I'm not frustrated, I just got to do better tomorrow," said Hoffman. "We play five games for a reason. Show up the same time tomorrow and get it done."
At this point, the Phillies have no other choice.
