LONDON — There was plenty of pomp and circumstance at London Stadium on Saturday afternoon when the Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies took their talents across the pond for a two-game series. There were mascot races featuring King Henry VIII and Freddie Mercury. There were appearances by celebrities, dignitaries, gladiators and footballers.
But as the ceremonies died down the Mets were unceremoniously beaten by their NL East rival. A six-run fourth inning by the Phillies spoiled what had been a solid outing by left-hander Sean Manaea in a 7-2 loss.
The Mets (27-36) came into the series after a sweep of the Washington Nationals. They were hoping to ride some momentum and put on a show for more than 55,000 fans from around the world. If there was any momentum, it died when Starling Marte failed to catch a routine fly ball by Edmundo Sosa in the fourth inning.
Up 1-0 after Marte’s first-inning RBI double off left-hander Ranger Suarez, Bryce Harper hit a one-out home run to even the score. Manaea left a 2-2 sweeper over the plate and Harper practically hit it to Scotland. The hard contact was a warning sign that Manaea was starting to struggle after facing only one over the minimum through the first three innings.
Alec Bohm then singled to right field. Manaea retired Nick Castellanos for the second out but walked Bryson Stott. Sosa popped up to right field and it looked like Manaea would be out of the inning with the game tied, but Marte made little effort to get to the ball and it bounced for a single.
The turf field makes for a bouncy surface and the Mets were anticipating some shallow hits, but this wasn’t one they were expecting. Marte awkwardly played the ball off the bounce, giving Bohm plenty of time to score from second and give the Phillies (45-19) the lead.
The inning continued and it continued to devolve. Whit Merrifield connected for a three-run shot, putting the Mets in a 5-1 hole. Christian Pache lined one to center and Harrison Bader laid out for the catch, falling just short. It was scored a double and put Pache in position to score on Kyle Schwarber’s single.
With the Phillies up 6-1, Manaea (3-3) was removed and right-hander Sean Reid-Foley came in to get the third out. All six runs were earned and came on seven hits and a walk. Manaea struck out two in 3 2/3 innings, leaving the bullpen with several innings to eat.
The Mets had runners on second and third in the fourth, but catcher Luis Torrens struck out to strand them. They scratched out another run against Suarez in the fifth and threatened again in the sixth when Jose Iglesias and Torrens hit back-to-back singles off the lefty with two outs.
But the Phillies countered Francisco Lindor with Orion Kerkering. Lindor worked the count full but was called out on a questionable third strike call when he looked at a sweeper on the outside edge of the plate.
Left-hander Danny Young gave up a deep drive to left field to — who else — Castellanos in the eighth. The Mets could afford to empty the bullpen with an off day on Monday. They loaded the bases on right-hander Jose Ruiz in the bottom of the ninth with one out, but J.D. Martinez grounded into a double play.
The Mets can even the series Sunday, with left-hander Jose Quintana facing right-hander Taijuan Walker at 10:10 a.m. ET.