The Mets’ 3-0 loss to the Phillies was only part of the story tonight. The game took a grim turn in the sixth inning when Nolan McLean collided with Jared Young on a play at first base, leaving Young crumpled on the field and eventually taken away by EMS on a backboard. He was transported to the hospital, and the Mets confirmed afterward that he has feeling in, and full use of, his extremities.
Before that frightening moment, the game had been locked in a scoreless grind. Aaron Nola and McLean traded clean early innings, and neither lineup could do much with scattered traffic.
Bryce Harper opened the first with a single to center, but McLean escaped. Juan Soto walked in the bottom half, only to be picked off by Nola, and Bo Bichette struck out to end the inning.
The Phillies kept poking at McLean. Bryson Stott reached on an infield hit in the second, but Justin Crawford grounded into a double play.
Harper singled to right to start the fourth, yet McLean worked out of that jam too. The Mets, meanwhile, had their own wasted chances.
Soto walked again in the fourth, but Bichette rolled into a double play, and Francisco Lindor’s bunt attempt turned into a groundout.
The breakthrough finally came in the fifth. Brandon Marsh reached on a fly ball that dropped in front of multiple defenders, Crawford moved him over with a sacrifice bunt, and Garrett Stubbs grounded out to send Marsh to third.
McLean then issued back-to-back walks to Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner, loading the bases. Harper was initially ruled to have grounded into a force out at second, but the Phillies challenged and won the review.
The call was changed to an RBI hit, and Philadelphia grabbed a 1-0 lead.
Then came the sixth, and the collision that stopped everything cold. Alec Bohm opened the inning with an infield single, Stott sacrificed him to second, and Marsh flied out to center for the second out.
Crawford then dribbled a ball up the first-base line. McLean charged over, Young reached for it too, and the two ran into each other.
Young stayed down for several minutes while EMS brought out the backboard. McLean, shaken by what had happened, told Andy Green he would stay in and finish the inning.
He did, striking out the next hitter to close the frame.
The Mets finally broke through against Nola in the bottom of the sixth, but only barely. Brett Baty walked, and Nick Morabito singled to left to end Nola’s no-hit bid. Lindor then grounded into a double play, leaving the inning empty anyway.
Philadelphia added to the lead after McLean exited. Tobias Myers took over in the seventh and immediately dealt with traffic, as Turner walked and advanced to third on a throwing error by Francisco Alvarez while Alvarez was trying to catch him stealing at first. Harper walked, and Luis Arraez followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.
The Mets had a brief spark in the bottom of the seventh when Carson Benge singled and Mark Vientos, batting for Young, lined another single into center. But A.J. Ewing grounded out and left both runners stranded.
The Phillies padded the margin in the eighth. Stott doubled to right, Marsh sacrificed him to third, and Crawford brought him home with a sacrifice fly.
Jonathan Bowlan replaced Nola in the bottom of the inning, but he walked Baty and was later removed with a lower body injury issue, with Tim Mayza coming on during Lindor’s at-bat. Mayza walked Lindor, but Soto grounded out to end the inning.
Austin Warren handled the ninth for the Mets and worked a clean inning. Jhoan Duran then finished it off for Philadelphia, allowing a Bichette single before retiring the next three batters to seal the 3-0 win.
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