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.

2) The Phillies should panic because the Mets pitching was able to shut them down with ease

Every advantage in the world was on the Phillies’ side. They have better starting pitching. Their bullpen is better, too. You’d be a homer if you would prefer to have the Mets lineup. Even if the regular season results suggest these teams are much closer than it may seem, there’s a reason why they waltzed into the playoffs and the Mets took until game 161 to seal a seat. The Phillies are a better team.

But the Mets only have to be better three times before they are. On Saturday, the Mets hitters were much better—at least for yet another classic late inning rally.

This isn’t about us. This is about them. The Phillies managed only 5 hits. Only Phil Maton in the eighth allowed more than one. Two perfect innings out of Reed Garrett, three important ones from David Peterson in the middle where walks were his biggest issue, and a gobbled up ninth inning by Ryne Stanek accounted for the Mets’ bullpen usage. The dangerous Phillies lineup couldn’t do anything against this rag-tag bunch of pitchers who, frankly, aren’t consistent enough to fear.

In a short five game series against teams as good as the Mets and Phillies, even mediocre pitchers like these guys can stay hot enough for long enough.