NEW YORK — Carlos Mendoza managed the fourth inning on Friday night like a playoff game. And it backfired for him and the Mets.

Philadelphia’s 12-2 victory over New York came to a head during that six-run outburst. The Phillies had scored two runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-2 lead and had a runner on third base with two outs after David Peterson threw out Kyle Schwarber. Then Mendoza came out of the dugout to replace Peterson and bring in Adam Ottavino for Trea Turner.

“Surprised,” Peterson said of the change. “That’s his decision. Everything’s fine, and we’ll move on to the next one.”

The decision to take Peterson off the field seemed quick to me in the moment, but it was justified by the quality of the contact against him. After a 1-2-3 first inning, the Phillies had hit 8 of 15 balls against Peterson, with most of those balls being hit particularly hard. Six balls in the game in that stretch were hit against Peterson at 99 mph or more, and all three Philadelphia hits in the fourth inning were hit at 106 mph or more.

“They threw some really good at-bats,” Mendoza said. “They hit the ball with the bat.”

PHI12
NYM2
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For the Mets, this at least means that Atlanta also lost.

The Mets are 85-69.

— Tim Britton (@TimBritton) 21 September 2024

Peterson scored five runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. It was his second straight start against Philadelphia – something that could also happen in the postseason.

“It’s not easy, but that’s part of being a great player,” Mendoza said. “Sometimes you have to play good teams two in a row. They’re going to adapt, and we have to adapt.”

The decision to replace Peterson with Ottavino certainly felt like a postseason prelude. It’s no secret that Ottavino has barely pitched in any meaningful situations since his nightmarish May. Even with a 3.30 ERA since early June, the veteran right-hander has only two holds since the All-Star break.

But if you try to sketch out a possible role for Ottavino, it looks like Friday’s scenario: a big position, early in the game, with a good right-hander at bat. Left-handers have punished Ottavino all year, but only Edwin Díaz has been better against right-handers out of New York’s bullpen this season.

The plan didn’t work. Ottavino allowed an RBI single to Turner on an 0-2 fastball to the outside corner. After Turner stole second base and Ottavino got behind left-swinging Bryce Harper, he allowed an intentional walk. After a double steal, he served up a three-run home run to Alec Bohm on a sweeper that stayed in the middle of the plate.

“I felt like I had to be aggressive there,” Mendoza said, “but it didn’t work.”

The exciting part of the evening was more or less over: a 4-2 game had become an 8-2 game. From then on, things could only get worse.

As we wrote last weekend, these games against the Phillies have exposed significant holes in the roster at times. In a critical situation in the fourth inning, the Mets brought in Ottavino. In a similar situation in the fifth inning, Philadelphia had Orion Kerkering (1.96 ERA and nearly 30 percent strikeout rate) on the plate. With a six-run lead, the Phillies had the luxury of letting Cristopher Sánchez end the inning, which he did by catching Pete Alonso trying to get a strikeout.

As well as the Mets have played recently, there are still areas of concern. In the bullpen, Danny Young’s difficult September continued. After allowing JT Realmuto’s two-run homer in the eighth inning, Young allowed nine earned runs in his final 2 1/3 innings. He had allowed 10 earned runs in his first 33 1/3 innings this season.

In the lineup, JD Martinez went 0-for-3 and extended his hitless streak to 31 at-bats. It is the longest hitless streak of Martinez’s career and the fourth-longest hitless streak in the major leagues this season.

“It’s been tough for him, but he’s giving it his all,” Mendoza said. “He’s a little weak right now. He’s got to keep going. … We’re going to need him.”

Still, Mendoza said it may be time to give Martinez a rest. He has been out for a single game twice during this stretch, and the Mets have seen stronger offensive output from both Tyrone Taylor and Starling Marte recently. After a pinch hit on Friday, Taylor has batted 9 for 23 with five extra-base hits over the past two weeks. Mendoza said he would be in on Saturday.

And of course, Francisco Lindor’s availability remains the biggest area of ​​concern. After several days of minimal progress, Lindor received a facet injection in his back on Thursday. He said he felt better Friday but could not quantify the extent of that improvement. During on-field batting practice on Friday, he cautiously swung from the right side for the first time.

“I’m trying to do whatever it takes to get back as soon as possible,” Lindor said. “I’m not worried, but I’m nervous. I want to be there.”

(Photo David Peterson: Dustin Satloff / Getty Images)