What we're watching for in Game 4 of the NLDS as the Phillies face elimination
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Alex Coffey: Working at-bats against José Quintana will be important. The Mets bullpen is a vulnerability and they haven’t been forced to lean on it much. The fact that manager Carlos Mendoza is asking his starters to go deep is a tell that he doesn’t have much to work with. Getting Quintana out early will be key.
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Alex Coffey: Working at-bats against José Quintana will be important. The Mets bullpen is a vulnerability and they haven’t been forced to lean on it much. The fact that manager Carlos Mendoza is asking his starters to go deep is a tell that he doesn’t have much to work with. Getting Quintana out early will be key.
Scott Lauber: Clearly, the Mets’ plan is to not let Bryce Harper beat them. Got it. But Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, and J.T. Realmuto are 8-for-42 bystanders. What will change vs. Quintana, who blanked the Phillies for seven innings on Sept. 13?
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Scott Lauber: Clearly, the Mets’ plan is to not let Bryce Harper beat them. Got it. But Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, and J.T. Realmuto are 8-for-42 bystanders. What will change vs. Quintana, who blanked the Phillies for seven innings on Sept. 13?
Marcus Hayes: Ranger Suárez has battled a bad back for most of the season. He hasn’t lasted even six innings in almost three months. He has a 7.79 ERA in his last four starts. He won’t have pitched in 11 days, and he gave up six earned runs in two innings last time. The Phillies say he aced a simulated game last week. Sigh.
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Marcus Hayes: Ranger Suárez has battled a bad back for most of the season. He hasn’t lasted even six innings in almost three months. He has a 7.79 ERA in his last four starts. He won’t have pitched in 11 days, and he gave up six earned runs in two innings last time. The Phillies say he aced a simulated game last week. Sigh.
David Murphy: A bigger question than Suárez is the guys who will need to follow him. The Phillies bullpen has been a massive disappointment this series. The numbers are astounding: 9 innings, 13 runs, 22 baserunners, 10 strikeouts. This was supposed to be a unit that could make a difference in a series.
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David Murphy: A bigger question than Suárez is the guys who will need to follow him. The Phillies bullpen has been a massive disappointment this series. The numbers are astounding: 9 innings, 13 runs, 22 baserunners, 10 strikeouts. This was supposed to be a unit that could make a difference in a series.
Lochlahn March: Austin Hays was billed as a lefty killer, but he didn't do much of that against Sean Manaea. With another lefty on the bump in Quintana, will Rob Thomson stick with Hays and hope he figures it out, or are more lineup changes coming?
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Lochlahn March: Austin Hays was billed as a lefty killer, but he didn't do much of that against Sean Manaea. With another lefty on the bump in Quintana, will Rob Thomson stick with Hays and hope he figures it out, or are more lineup changes coming?