Marlins snap Phillies’ seven-game win streak with showdown vs. Mets and Max Scherzer next

In the 76 days since the Phillies last played the New York Mets, the following has happened:

“I think we’re a little bit better team right now than we were April and May,” pitcher Kyle Gibson said as the Phillies brace for a three-game showdown with the Mets beginning Friday night in New York. “I think we’re playing a lot better.”

So, never mind Thursday’s 3-0 loss to the Miami Marlins, in which the Phillies loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth inning and got doused by a bucket of ice water. Instead of zooming up the Jersey Turnpike with an eight-game winning streak at their back, they endured the lemon-sour taste of getting shut out by Marlins rookie Edward Cabrera and three relievers.

Hey, it happens. Not a big deal.

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It was more notable that the Phillies lost Kyle Schwarber to a right calf strain on the eve of the Mets series and with Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom — the modern equivalent of Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling — looming on Friday and Saturday nights at Citi Field.

But, in any event, the next three games will be revelatory. They will meet the first-place Mets for the first time since May 29, the perfect chance to prove to the baseball world that they’re really a different team now.

It sure seemed that way Wednesday night, when the Phillies authored an impressive eighth-inning comeback against Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, the presumptive Cy Young Award favorite. It was one of those signature victories, a sign that something special may be happening.

They almost did it again in the matinee series finale. The Phillies had a two-on, one-out rally in the eighth inning before their ninth-inning dramatics — and, ultimately, disappointment.

But facing the Mets presents a measuring-stick opportunity. They manhandled the tough Atlanta Braves last week and are poised to go wire-to-wire for the division title. They’ve won six games in a row, eight of nine, and 15 of 17.

“It’s always good to play good teams,” Thomson said. “We’re playing really well right now in all phases of the game, really. It should be a good series. We’re looking forward to it.”

In getting muted by Cabrera and Co., the Phillies lost for only the second time in 14 games. They are 40-20 since June 3, when they made the managerial change, and 25-14 without Harper.

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“I don’t think it’s a weekend that you hang your hat on, whether it’s good or bad, and say, ‘Hey, we’ve established ourselves,’ or whatever,” Gibson said. “I think we’ve done that the last couple months. We’ve established ourselves as a playoff team no matter how this weekend goes.

“But you always want to go into a division rival and win a series. Nothing’s going to be different this time. I don’t think we’re trying to prove a point or make a statement. I think the rest of the season’s going to do that, however we play.”

Schwarber left with what Thomson characterized as a “mild” right calf strain. He will be re-evaluated Friday, but the National League home run leader said he doubts he will be able to play.

“I want to be back as quick as I can,” Schwarber said, “but also don’t want to do anything that’s outrageous to hurt the team and be down for extended amount of time, too.”

Schwarber has solidified the leadoff spot since June, batting atop the order in 63 of the last 65 games. And although he’s batting only .211 with a league-leading 144 strikeouts, he has 34 homers, 69 RBIs, and an .815 on-base plus slugging.

Without Schwarber, Matt Vierling is likely to play left field and also may be a candidate to lead off.

» READ MORE: Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber may miss Mets series because of strained calf

Once the Phillies loaded the bases in the ninth inning, Thomson used Edmundo Sosa as a pinch hitter for Garrett Stubbs, even though Stubbs homered earlier in the season against Marlins lefty reliever Tanner Scott.

“I know Stubby hit the home run off Scott last time, but just the right-left matchup,” Thomson said, explaining that Sosa bats from the right side. “Sosa has been swinging the bat pretty good against left-handers.”

Sosa struck out for the first out of the inning. Scott also struck out Vierling and got Brandon Marsh to ground out to end the game.

The Phillies had the makings of more eighth-inning magic, but plate umpire Roberto Ortíz’s called third strike on a low pitch to Alec Bohm blunted the rally. The pitch seemed to be in the same location below the strike zone as the second pitch of the at-bat, which was called a ball.

Thomson referred to Ortíz’s strike zone as “a little erratic.” But he also pointed to costly mistakes that hurt the Phillies, notably Rhys Hoskins’ flubbed grounder and an infield fly that Segura lost in the sun in that led to an unearned run in the second inning.

“I always think you have to play better to absorb [a bad call],” Thomson said. “What I’m talking about is, don’t give them five outs in the second inning, throw strikes, field the ball, take good swings at strikes, and not worry about the umpire.”