Nola’s pitching, Bruce’s power lead Phillies over Mets
Phillies head to the break with work to do after a disappointing first half >>
NEW YORK >> Aaron Nola, Jay Bruce and the Philadelphia Phillies see plenty of reasons why they can play even better after the All-Star Game.
The Mets? Well, they say there’s always hope.
Nola held the Mets hitless into the sixth inning, Bruce homered twice and the Phillies quieted New York with an 8-3 victory Sunday.
The Phils headed into the break at 47-43 — they were 53-42 at this point last year and envisioned more after adding Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Andrew McCutchen and others in an offseason push.
“I think we all know that we underachieved in the first half,” said Bruce, a big hitter since being acquired in June.
The Phillies led the NL East for most of the season, but injuries to McCutchen and the bullpen caught up to them.
“Some adversity in the first half,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “We’re in a good position. We’re feeling pretty confident.”
The Mets, meanwhile, are 40-50, not what they imagined after adding Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz, Jed Lowrie and more in the offseason.
“I feel like we can make a run at this thing,” manager Mickey Callaway said. “We can sneak into that wild card, sneak back in this division. Look what the Nationals have done in a 2 1/2-week period.”
“Anything can happen in baseball, I’ve seen it all. We need to have a sense of urgency because of the possibilities. And in my mind, anything’s possible,” he said.
The Mets’ highlight of the day: Rookie All-Star Pete Alonso hit his 30th home run to break up Nola’s nohit bid.
Bruce drove in four runs against his former team and Rhys Hoskins homered as the Phillies took two of three in the series.
The feuding division rivals kept their cool and there were no warnings from the umpires, a day after a tense game in which Jake Arrieta hit Todd Frazier and later said if the Mets veteran was still upset, “he can come see me and I’ll put a dent in his skull.”
Hoskins was hit in the left thigh by a pitch from reliever Wilmer Font in the seventh. As fans cheered, Hoskins spun around and slung a leg guard toward the dugout, then took his base without incident.
In April, Mets reliever Jacob Rhame was suspended two games and fined for zinging two fastballs over Hoskins’ head, apparent retaliation for two Mets getting drilled.
Hoskins later got even, homering off Rhame and taking an amazingly slow trot around the bases. This time, Hoskins homered in the ninth and routinely went about his business.
Nola (8-2) extended his scoreless streak to 22 innings before Alonso hit a two-run drive with one out. The right-hander allowed three hits in 6 2/3 innings — he has never pitched a complete game as a pro, totaling
112 starts in the majors and
31 in the minors.
His assessment of the Phils so far: “Up-and-down first half.”
Zack Wheeler (6-6) was tagged for six runs in fiveplus innings, an outing that definitely didn’t enhance his trade value as the July 31 deadline approaches.
Hoskins hit an RBI double, Realmuto followed with a two-run double and Bruce had an RBI single in the first.
Bruce hit a two-run homer that finished Wheeler in the sixth and connected in the eighth for his 28th career multihomer game and third this year. The Mets traded Bruce to Seattle in the winter as part of a package for Cano and Diaz, the Mariners dealt him to the Phillies in June.
Bruce has 24 homers and 57 RBIs. With 14 home runs for Seattle and 10 for the Phillies, he is first big leaguer to reach double-digits for two teams before the All-Star break, STATS said.
BUMPING ALONG
Harper caught a pair of flyballs in right field despite center fielder Scott Kingery bumping into him both times.
Kapler kiddingly likened it to a collision between “an outside linebacker and a fullback blocking.”
PETE’S POWER
Alonso, ready to play in the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Cleveland, set an NL rookie record with 68 RBIs before the break. He was tied with Albert Pujols, who had 66 for the Cardinals in 2001. Walt Dropo set the major league mark of 83 for the Red Sox in 1950.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: OF Michael Conforto (back) entered in the seventh inning. Callaway said Conforto should be OK to start after the break.