Mets’ losing streak hits seven as they fall to Phillies in Andy Green’s debut

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. 

The Mets changed managers on Friday, but that hardly jumpstarted a lineup that had to deal with Zack Wheeler for most of the night. Now Andy Green knows what it was like to be Carlos Mendoza. 

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Green’s crew managed only five hits in a 2-1 loss to the Phillies at Citi Field that extended the Mets’ losing streak to seven games. Green took over as interim manager earlier in the day after Mendoza was fired. 

The Mets (34-48) looked every bit like the team that entered the day ranked 29th in MLB with a .673 OPS. Their misery on this night included getting one-hit over the final five innings. It was the fifth time during their losing streak the Mets scored three runs or fewer. 

“I thought the energy was good, the effort was what you want — we just weren’t able to square up balls,” Green said. 

Zach Thornton, in his second major league start, was sharp over six innings. The left-hander, thrust into the rotation following David Peterson’s trade to the Cubs and Kodai Senga’s demotion to the bullpen, allowed one earned run on five hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. 

“It just gives me the confidence I can compete with the best out there and I can get anybody out,” Thornton said. 

But Green said a decision hadn’t been reached on whether Thornton will remain in the rotation. Christian Scott will return from the injured list on Saturday and it’s possible Thornton will be the roster casualty. 

Thornton surrendered three straight hits to begin the game, but escaped the first with only one run allowed. Bryce Harper delivered an RBI single that gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead after Trea Turner’s leadoff double and Kyle Schwarber’s ensuing single. Thornton rebounded to get three straight outs. 

“Zach was really good, especially you are talking about a young kid who gets barreled up three consecutive times, gets a mound visit and settles in and gives us six great innings,” Green said. “It’s tough to win baseball games when you put one run on the board.” 

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Derek Hill scaled the fence in right-center in the bottom of the inning to rob Juan Soto of a two-run homer. Carson Benge singled leading off before Hill fully extended over the fence for the larceny. 

“It was an unbelievable catch,” Soto said. “You see the replays and you see how impressive it was. He didn’t have any timing — he just went straight to the wall and jumped. That was incredible.” 

Jared Young’s RBI single in the fourth tied it 1-1. Bo Bichette’s leadoff double ignited the rally before Young delivered against Wheeler. 

Huascar Brazoban allowed an RBI single to Trea Turner in the seventh that gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead. Hill’s leadoff single and Bryson Stott’s walk gave the Phillies their base runners before Hill’s single. It was a rare misstep for Brazoban, who wasn’t scored upon in his previous seven appearances and began the night with a 1.82 ERA. 

Wheeler dominated with a second good outing in less than a week against his former team. The right-hander allowed one earned run on four hits with five strikeouts and one walk over seven innings. Wheeler, in his return from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, has pitched to a 2.03 ERA in 11 starts this season. 

“It’s tough and it’s part of baseball,” Soto said. “We just haven’t been coming through in big situations and that is kind of the way the game goes. You have got to come through in the right moment, at the right time.” 

Green, who last managed a major league game for the Padres in 2019, said he felt at home in the dugout. 

“It’s what I know,” Green said. “I will certainly make mistakes along the way, but the game was not moving any faster than a normal game has in the past. I have got good coaches around me that are very bright, so I think in that sense I felt good.”

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