NEW YORK _ The Triple-A all stars gathered Tuesday afternoon for a team picture in the outfield of a minor-league ballpark around the same time Enyel De Los Santos sat alone in the visiting dugout of Citi Field for a brief moment of reflection before the biggest night of his career.
The Phillies prospect was supposed to be in Ohio, grinning for the camera before starting Wednesday night's All-Star Game. De Los Santos has been one of Triple-A's best pitchers and that was a fitting honor. But he instead had to settle for a night in the major leagues. And De Los Santos made the most of his chance.
The right-hander made a solid first-impression as he reached the seventh inning of a 7-3 win over the Mets. He allowed three runs, walked three, and yielded five hits over 61/3 innings in his major-league debut. De Los Santos' fastball touched 97 mph and he used a delivery that gives his pitches some deception.
He used his fastball for all six strikeouts while mixing in a curveball and changeup. It was easy to understand why De Los Santos was scheduled to be in that photo in Columbus, Ohio.
The rookie helped push the Phillies to their 10th win in 13 games. They remained in first place and can win their fourth straight series with a victory on Wednesday. De Los Santos will be optioned back to Triple-A before Wednesday's game to make room for Vince Velasquez.
But the 22-year-old's performance on Tuesday should be enough to put pressure on the starting rotation, especially Velasquez and Nick Pivetta, both of whom have been troubled by inconsistencies.
The Phillies have 21 more wins through 90 games than they did last season. They are finding a balance between developing a young roster and pushing for a playoff berth, which seems to become more believable with each day. And it is that balance that will not allow De Los Santos to sit in the minors if there are some stumbles by Phillies starters.
The Phillies provided De Los Santos with plenty of support. Maikel Franco crushed a three-run homer in the first to alleviate any pressure the pitcher may have felt. Nick Williams had three hits, including a two-run single in the third. De Los Santos had a five-run lead after facing just seven batters.
Odubel Herrera added a homer in the fifth for his 16th of the season, surpassing the career high he set in 2016. The Phillies finished with 13 hits, one more than they combined for in Monday's doubleheader. Rhys Hoskins ditched his double-flapped batting helmet and slapped three hits. Trevor Plouffe, who was promoted in the afternoon from triple A, had a pinch-hit single.
They blitzed Mets rookie Drew Gagnon, who failed to finish five innings in his major-league debut. It was the first time since 1944 that a Phillies game featured two starting pitchers making their major-league debuts. But only one of them on Tuesday night looked like a rookie. And De Los Santos had no qualms about missing out on a free trip to Ohio.
