3 reasons Phillies fans should panic after losing Game 1 to the Mets in the NLDS

Let’s look at this series from the other side. Philadelphia isn’t too far of a drive away from New York. It should be easy for New York Mets fans to get into the heads of Philadelphia Phillies fans. After all, we’ve been where they are right now.

Down a game in this best of five series, the Phillies faithful shouldn’t look at the Game 1 win as “no big deal.” As steady as Zack Wheeler was, there is reason to panic.

Sorry brothers and sisters down I-95. These three reasons should have you sweating.

1) The Phillies should panic because this was the one game the Mets could afford to lose

Kodai Senga in only his second appearance of the year didn’t look so hot versus the first batter of the game. Then he settled down. The bullpen took care of business. The Phillies, as sure as they looked like they would win this one, just couldn’t put it together. A familiar foe of theirs, the bullpen, fell short.

If there was one game the Mets could have afforded to lose, it was the opener. Everything was in favor of the Phillies. The pitching matchup. The location. The restfulness of the pitchers. As Keith Raad on the radio broadcast brought up, could the poor performance by the relievers have been a result of not pitching at all over the last week while the Mets did battle with the Milwaukee Brewers?

Winning one of the two games in Philadelphia was an absolute must for the Mets. They got it out of the way already in the game where we probably didn’t think they had much of a chance. In the playoffs, you cannot afford to lose when your ace is on the mound. You especially can’t take the L when he pitches as well as Wheeler did.