The Philadelphia Phillies continue to struggle at Citi Field, unable to find a formula to overcome the New York Mets on their own turf. After a heartbreaking loss earlier in the series, the Phillies were thoroughly outplayed again Wednesday night. Rookie pitcher Nolan McLean shut them down over eight scoreless innings, leading the Mets to a 6-0 rout.
This marks not only a series sweep but also the Mets’ 10th straight home win over the Phillies—a streak stretching back to last season, including last October’s postseason games that sent Philadelphia packing.
Trailing the Phillies by seven games before the series, the Mets have closed the gap to four, reigniting the NL East race. The two teams will meet again for a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park from September 8–11.
When asked if the Mets gained momentum from the series, Phillies manager Rob Thomson didn’t entertain the idea. “I don’t know,” he told *The Athletic’s* Matt Gelb. “You’ll have to ask them.”
Thomson acknowledged that his team needs to bounce back quickly, with 29 games left in the season—including 17 at home—and a chance to still claim the division title and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
“We know we need to play better,” Thomson said. “Yeah, it’s one of those series. We’ll just have to flush it and move on.”
If the Phillies return to Citi Field in October, they may need to face their struggles head-on. For now, their focus shifts to the upcoming series against the fourth-place Atlanta Braves.