Game #148: Phillies 3, Mets 2

No...just...no...

One strike away from securing Matt Harvey a W to go with his one-hit masterpiece, Josh Edgin served up a go-ahead 2-run homer to Ryan Howard, propelling the Phillies past the lifeless Mets in excruciating 3-2 fashion.

The Bad Stuff:

• And here I thought I would get to put Good Stuff first this time. At least I'm not in the same boat as Adam Rubin and have to burn my copy of an uplifting piece.
• Up 2-1 in the top of the 9th, Josh Edgin had Chase Utley on the ropes, ready for his first big-league save. But a couple close pitches missed and Utley was on with a walk. Up came Ryan Howard, looking to infuse some life into a team suddenly in the playoff chase. But in order to bring his team to life, he would have to further bludgeon an already beaten beyond belief Mets team. Howard sent Edgin's 0-1 fastball deep into right field, sucking the joy from those who remained of the Citi Field crowd of 21,741.
• And you just knew that when that ball went over the fence New York was done. Jordany Valdespin's ejection for arguing balls and strikes was just the cherry on top of a sick, sick sundae.
• Of course, if the team could just score some runs, all of this could have been avoided. New York stranded 10 men and hit 2-10 with RISP.

The Good Stuff:

• All this overshadows what was supposed to be the final bow in Matt Harvey's first act in the bigs. After giving up a leadoff homer to Jimmy Rollins, Harvey was beyond brilliant, refusing to allow Philadelphia another hit in 7 innings. He walked 3 and struck out 7 to finish his 2012 with a 3-5 record, a 2.73 ERA, 26 walks, and 70 strikeouts in 59.1 innings. Fear not, Mets fans: we have at least one bright spot in 2013.
• David Wright was in line to be the hero at the plate as he belted a solo home run in the 6th inning (his 18th and 82nd RBI) to put the Mets on top 2-1.

Final Analysis:
Just when you think it couldn't get any worse. Every home game has been a further nail in this coffin of a two months. But this was the one that made it feel all the more real: this loss gives New York 82 losses on the season, clinching a 4th straight year under the .500 mark. There are 14 games remaining in the 2012 season. Fourteen more games until we can wake up from this terrible nightmare. But after a loss like tonight's, it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't win one more game in those final 14.

MM