8/12 Game Recap: Phillies beat Mets 3-1

I think that we should start calling Matt Vierling "Matty Ice" time and time again Vierling has come up clutch in big time spots for the Phils this season. While "Matty Ice" wasn't the only guy to make a big contribution up in Flushing Meadows tonight he certainly made one to be remembered, beaming down a streaking Starling Marte in the bottom of the 9th inning to send the game to extras. The Phils showed what they were made of against a Mets team that is leading the NL East and is bound for a deep playoff run, and this one certainly felt like a playoff atmosphere. The Phils certainly showed that they are ready for the the big stage. Especially now after it seems like they may have found their 3rd starter for the playoffs in one Ranger Suarez who was able to go head to head with 3 time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. The Phillies played an all around great fundamentally sound Baseball game tonight (Ahem Keith Hernandez), So without any further delay let's hop right into it.

The Phillies started off the game a big differently than they usually would have tonight, instead of the big bat of Kyle Schwarber lumbering to the plate to leadoff the game. It was the young shortstop Bryson Stott who would take a hack at Max Scherzer first, and it was safe to say it paid off. Stott smacked a double off the Right Field wall to start the game and would be quickly sent home courtesy of an Alec Bohm single too Centerfield. But from then on out it was a good Ole' Fashion pitchers duel, Scherzer and Suarez would go back and forth for the next 7 innings matching each other pitch for pitch, despite a single Mets run that would score on a Mark Canha Sac Fly it was all quiet until we reached the late innings. With the bases loaded and no one out in the Bottom of the 9th, Daniel Vogelbach would come to the plate to hit for Darin Ruf. He would swing at just the second pitch to deep left field where the Mets faithful surely thought it would be deep enough to score Starling Marie from 3rd. Not if Matty Ice had anything to say about that, Vierling would take game into his own hands throwing an absolute missile to JT Realmuto who tagged Marte out 10 feet before he was able to reach home. Just like that the game was headed to extras, And once again the duo of Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott would strike again, this time Bohm would fly out to Right where Starling Marte would attempt to do his best Matt Vierling impression but failed miserably as the throw would sale right past the Catcher Thomas Nido allowing for Bryson Stott to score easily. Finally the Phils would call on one David Robertson to shut the door for good on the Mets, and he would do just that going 1-2-3 with relative ease.

Tonight the Phils showed all of us that they can compete in a playoff like atmosphere, and in a hostile environment like Citi Field where there were 40000+ screaming Mets fans. This team has proven time and time again in different ways that they are ready to make the jump, now all they have to do is get there. And the next step on that mission is tomorrow when they will take on Jacob DeGrom and the Mets again at 7 back in Flushing Queens, for now goodnight and Go Phils!