80 Points: Marcus Semien's OPS Surge Is Crushing Bullpens, and Philly Has No Answers
The New York Mets are absolutely on fire, folks, and Marcus Semien, their veteran second baseman, is carving up the competition! They just snagged a wild 6-4 victory over the Phillies on Thursday, pulling ahead in the seventh inning with some serious clutch hitting. The Mets are gunning for their third straight win when they visit Philly again on Saturday, and if Thursday was any indication, this team is finding its early-season groove in a big way.
Semien Is Red Hot, Making 'Em Pay
You want clutch? Tied up at 3-3 in the seventh, Eric Wagaman delivered a go-ahead pinch-hit single. Then, with two on and two out, Jose Alvarado thought he had Semien struck out, but umpire Brian Walsh rightly determined a foul tip hit the dirt before J.T. Realmuto caught it. Talk about a second chance, and Semien absolutely crushed it, ripping a two-run triple that blew the game wide open! Mets manager Carlos Mendoza kept it real, pointing out, "A lot of two-out hits," and giving credit for their gritty hitting.
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This isn't a fluke for Semien, either. The 35-year-old, a three-time All-Star new to the Mets this season after a career in the American League, has been on a tear. He’s slugging a scorching .519 since May 25, and his on-base-plus-slugging percentage has shot up by more than 80 points in just the past four weeks! Mendoza is seeing the results: "He's beating the ball to the spot, short, controlling the strike zone better. This is a guy that is capable of doing damage, too. I think it's just making better swing decisions, getting the head out and doing damage. It's good to see that." When a hitter like that finds his rhythm, it’s appointment viewing for us fans.
Philly's Bullpen Is Bleeding, Plus Injury Concerns
On the flip side, the Phillies are reeling, having dropped two straight games, and their bullpen is definitely feeling the heat. Jose Alvarado, who gave up Semien’s triple, and Tim Mayza are the only lefty relievers after Tanner Banks and his 5.86 ERA were optioned to Triple-A. Interim manager Don Mattingly hopes for a quick return from Kyle Backhus, who last pitched on April 25, saying, "Mayza's been throwing the ball good, Alvy's been kind of in and out, and I feel like we're gonna get (Backhus) back at some point fairly soon. So I think we'll be in a good spot with the lefties."
Philly’s looking to Cristopher Sanchez (8-3, 1.82 ERA) to eat innings on Saturday. He's 3-4 with a 4.26 ERA in 12 career outings against the Mets. Sanchez will need to go deep after only logging 5 2/3 innings in his last start, breaking a streak of seven straight starts where he went at least seven frames. The Mets counter with Freddy Peralta (5-5, 3.90 ERA), who is 0-2 with a 3.12 ERA in eight career appearances against Philadelphia. Plus, the Phillies are sweating on Trea Turner's availability. He got plunked and left Thursday's game in the third with a right calf contusion. Mattingly reported Turner "was having trouble putting pressure, pushing off" and "felt like he was a liability on defense since he couldn't really move." That's a huge blow.
So, the Mets carry all the momentum into Saturday's game, eyeing that series win. Can Semien keep his red-hot streak alive and truly expose Philly's struggling relief corps? The Phillies desperately need Sanchez to shut down the Mets' bats and give their wobbly bullpen a break. Plus, everyone's watching to see if Turner can even suit up. This Saturday game is going to be a must-watch battle, folks!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.