The Philadelphia Phillies will have a lot to think about this offseason after dropping the ball in their NLDS with the New York Mets. Despite a strong regular season, the Phillies’ bats during the series failed to score more than 2 runs in 3 of the four games.
Still, in many of the games, the series was tight, and it came down to pitching—and more importantly, relief pitching—and that is where the Phillies stumbled considerably. The bullpen accounted for a shocking 11.37 ERA and gave up walks and hits when the game was clearly in their favor at times.
The bullpen’s drop in form ranks as the fifth-highest bullpen ERA in postseason history for any series (with a minimum of 10 innings), and it’s the highest since Cleveland’s 11.70 ERA in the 2018 American League Division Series.
Overall End to the Philadelphia Phillies Season
When it came to starting pitching during the NLDS, the starters only gave up six runs in 21 innings pitched, while the relief pitchers crumbled, allowing 16 runs in just 12 innings.
Carlos Estevez #53 of the Philadelphia Phillies delivers a pitch in the sixth inning against the New York Mets during Game Four of the Division Series at Citi Field on October 09, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The series between the Mets and the Phillies was not defined by great baserunning or major tactical switches, but rather by hero moments from Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor.
While pitching was the main issue throughout the series for the Phillies, batting also went cold, with just 12 runs scored against the Mets and a batting average of only .186 across four games.
see also
MLB News: Dodgers' Mookie Betts reveals crucial strategy to overcome slump in Game 4 of the NLDS
For the Phillies, it’s back to the drawing board as they wipe the egg off their face. For the Mets, can they take their late-season heroics to the NLCS?
