NEW YORK — The final three outs were shaping up Friday night to be a good chance for Ian Kennedy to re-enter the ninth-inning cauldron with relative ease. His last two save chances ended in crushing fashion, so it would have been nice to give him a save chance as comfortable as possible.
But then a three-run lead slimmed to one with two outs in the eighth inning, the Citi Field bullpen door opened, and Kennedy came through. There was no chance to work Kennedy back in. He was tossed back into the throes, asked to record the final four outs of a 4-3 win over the Mets while protecting the narrowest of leads.
Such is the life of a closer in a playoff race and Kennedy walked that tight-rope Friday just fine. He ended the eighth with a strikeout, stranding the tying run on second after Archie Bradley allowed two runs to score.
The bullpen has been the source of much angst this season. They lead the majors in blown saves and have the sixth-highest ERA, but they held on Friday night. José Alvarado recorded three big outs in the sixth, Sam Coonrod handled the seventh, and Kennedy finished the job after Bradley stumbled.
Zack Wheeler, who had pitched at least six innings in 14 straight starts and has averaged nearly seven innings per start since joining the Phillies, recorded just 15 outs as he was lifted in the sixth for Alvarado. The bullpen bailed out the starter who often gives them an easy night and kept the team’s postseason dream churning.
Alvarado’s big outs
The public address announcer had yet to introduce Alvarado when the sharp-eyed fans spotted him running from the bullpen and showered him with boos.
The moment — runners on first and second with no outs in the sixth inning of a one-run September game — was already tense enough. And now Alvarado was the enemy of Queens. He didn’t seem to mind.
Alvarado yielded a double play on his first pitch and was soon hopping off the mound with his fists pumped after ending the rally with a strikeout. Alvarado had a few spats early in the season with the Mets and remains a fan favorite here. He didn’t seem to mind.
Didi’s glove
Didi Gregorius was facing left field and laying on his stomach when he fielded a sharp grounder in the seventh inning. There was little chance for him to get the lead runner at second base yet he found a way.
Gregorius, whose defense has improved recently, flipped the ball behind his back to Jean Segura and the second baseman stretched from the bag to glove the second out of the inning. It was one of the team’s best defensive plays of the season and it helped stymie a Mets’ rally.
“I went back to my old ways of fielding,” Gregorius said earlier this week to explain his improved defense. “Not what they wanted me to do in the beginning. I think that’s what changed.”
Gregorius doubled in a run in the eighth to put the Phils ahead by three, providing the run that ended up being the difference after Bradley’s rough inning.
Girardi tossed
Girardi was ejected in the middle of Matt Joyce’s at-bat for arguing with the third-base umpire after he said Joyce’s check swing was a strike in the seventh inning. Girardi, who seemed to have a point, was visibly furious. It was his fourth ejection of the season, one shy of his career high.
Miller time
Brad Miller crushed a splitter in the fifth inning to put the Phillies ahead by a run, answering back one inning after the Mets tied the game. Miller had two hits and his 443-foot shot was his 19th homer of the season. The Phillies will need more than Bryce Harper to carry them this month as it’ll take nights like Miller’s to push them to October.
Wheeler’s night
Wheeler was exceptional through the first three innings before his command seemed to dip. The Mets scored a run off him in the fourth and chased him in the sixth by starting the inning with two singles. Wheeler, who threw 93 pitches through five-plus innings, failed to give the Phillies the length they expect when he starts and the length they needed after using seven relievers on Thursday.
Wheeler leads the majors with a career-high 200 1/3 innings, a workload that may be wearing on him. The Phillies are trying to keep his pitch count under 100 in each start this month. Wheeler said earlier this month that it’s not his velocity that’s affected by fatigue but command. That seemed to be the case on Friday.
Realmuto’s OK
J.T. Realmuto’s elbow injury proved to be little more than a scare as the catcher was in the lineup Friday, a night after leaving the game with a swollen triceps after being hit by a pitch.
He dropped a single into right field in the second inning, promptly stole second, moved to third on a fly ball, and scored on a sacrifice fly. Realmuto is already playing through a shoulder injury and he seemed to avoid having another injury to overcome.
