The Phillies arrived at Citi Field needing their bullpen to carry another heavy load, and by the sixth inning the strain showed. A three-run homer by Juan Soto off Orion Kerkering sent Philadelphia toward a 6-3 loss to the Mets, leaving a club with eight games remaining and a suddenly fragile late-inning map.
Philadelphia remained level with the Cubs for the top National League Wild Card position after Friday’s game. A Padres victory over Miami later that night would bring San Diego into a three-team tie.
A bullpen night goes sideways early
Jesús Luzardo’s left-shoulder inflammation kept him on the 15-day injured list, forcing the Phillies into their second bullpen game without him. Whether Luzardo can return for the postseason remains unsettled, though interim manager Don Mattingly said the left-hander has improved each day.
“The signs are encouraging as he keeps feeling better,” Mattingly said before first pitch. “It is following the course we expected. But he has not played catch or thrown a bullpen yet, so we still have to see how he responds once those steps begin.”
- Tim Mayza took the opening assignment after throwing three scoreless innings in that role last Saturday at Truist Park.
- The Mets scored three times in the first against Mayza, putting Philadelphia in an immediate hole.
- With one out and the bases full, newly acquired right-hander José Urquidy entered and gave up a hit that brought home two inherited runners.
- Urquidy then steadied the game, working 4 2/3 innings without allowing another run.
The Phillies still had time to claw back, but their offense did not produce enough to overcome the early deficit or the damage that came later.
Kerkering’s rough stretch deepens
Kerkering opened the sixth in only his second outing since Sept. 4. His previous appearance came last Saturday, when he surrendered a hit and an unearned run while walking three in 1 1/3 innings.
The right-hander has dealt with turf toe, although both he and Mattingly have maintained for roughly a week that the issue has not kept him from being available. Mattingly said the recent lack of work was tied to game situations rather than health.
“I believe he is ready,” Mattingly said. “The fact that he has not been used is simply that the games did not present the right spot for him.”
Still, the usage has told part of the story. Kerkering once held a prominent high-leverage role, but Mattingly used Chase Shugart in the 10th and 11th innings of the Sept. 11 loss to Atlanta, innings that likely would have belonged to Kerkering earlier in the season.
- A softly hit single through the middle began the Mets’ sixth.
- Kerkering struck out Brett Baty with a 1-2 sweeper.
- Luis Torrens followed with a sharply struck single to left, placing runners at first and second.
- Francisco Lindor went down swinging on a full-count fastball, leaving Kerkering one out from escaping trouble.
- Juan Soto got a 0-1 sweeper that stayed up, and he drove it beyond the right-center-field wall for a three-run shot.
That swing widened the Mets’ lead and underscored a troublesome run for Kerkering. In his last eight appearances, he has yielded a run seven times, posting an 8.64 ERA with eight earned runs over 8 1/3 innings. During that span, he has allowed 11 hits, six walks and two homers, hit two batters and recorded eight strikeouts.
The larger sample is not much kinder. Since July 22, Kerkering owns an 8.83 ERA, with 18 earned runs in 18 1/3 innings across 21 outings.
The bridge to Duran is less certain
Philadelphia entered the season expecting Kerkering to handle important outs late in games. With the playoffs nearing, that expectation has become a question mark. Jonathan Bowlan’s mild right-groin strain has also clouded his availability, thinning the options between the starter and closer Jhoan Duran.
Luzardo’s progress offers some hope for the rotation, but there is no timetable until he resumes throwing. For now, the Phillies are trying to protect a Wild Card spot while piecing together innings that once appeared far more secure.
