Terry Collins partially to blame for Mets’ World Series defeat

By Nov 2, 2015, 12:44 AM EST
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Mets manager Terry Collins, in his team’s five-game defeat in the World Series against the Royals, was out-managed by opposing skipper Ned Yost. There were plenty of mistakes, including poor defense on several occasions, but Collins will deservedly draw a not-insignificant percentage of the culpability.

It started in Game 3, when Collins called on closer Jeurys Familia to pitch the ninth inning, when the Mets were leading by six runs. Familia needed only 11 pitches, but it was an unnecessary expenditure by Collins. Throwing those 11 pitches — not to mention warming up — has a non-zero effect on him going forward.

In Game 4, Familia should have started the eighth inning, when the Mets were protecting a 3-2 lead. Instead, Tyler Clippard started and issued back-to-back one-out walks. Daniel Murphy then committed an awful error on an easy ground ball, and from there the Royals had the game in the bag. Had Familia not pitched in Game 3, perhaps Collins would have been more willing to have him go for six outs in Game 4.

Starter Matt Harvey was rolling in Game 5, shutting out the Royals through eight innings. On the FOX broadcast during the bottom of the eighth inning, Harvey could be seen receiving the news from pitching coach Dan Warthen that he wouldn’t be pitching the ninth. “No way,” Harvey said. He went to Collins in the dugout and argued his way back out to the mound to start the ninth inning. Harvey issued a leadoff walk to Lorenzo Cain, then a run-scoring double to Eric Hosmer. Familia finally came in, but he was hurt by a poor throw by first baseman Lucas Duda, saddling him with undeserved blown saves in back-to-back appearances.

One wonders if the prospect of Familia pitching three games in a row influenced Collins’ decision to relent to Harvey. That he could be talked out of a decision at all by a player certainly does not paint him in a good light.

It all stems back to that one decision in Game 3 to use Familia when it wasn’t necessary. It all snowballed from there.

Nationals blow 6-run lead, rebound to beat Phillies 8-7

Associated PressJun 3, 2023, 12:55 AM EDT
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WASHINGTON (AP) Lane Thomas singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Washington Nationals sent the Philadelphia Phillies to their fifth straight loss, winning 8-7 after blowing a six-run lead.

The defending NL champion Phillies have just five victories in their last 18 games and are tied with the Nationals at the bottom of the NL East at 25-32.

“We’ve got to overcome it,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We’ve got to play better, get consistent in all phases and keep moving forward.”

Alex Call drew a two-out walk against Connor Brogdon (2-1) in the eighth, stole second on a low pitch that catcher JT Realmuto couldn’t make a throw on and scored on Thomas’ single to right center.

“The way Lane’s swinging the bat, if you can get on second base, we can win the game,” Call said. “I look over and the ball’s in the dirt, he doesn’t catch it. Now I’m saying: ‘All right, Lane. Come on!’”

Kyle Finnegan (3-2) pitched 1 2/3 innings for the victory, stranding the tying run on second in the ninth.

Nick Castellanos homered twice, singled, doubled and drove in five runs for Philadelphia, which had scored just three runs in its past three games.

“There’s definitely a lot of positives as a group,” Castellanos said. “Showing some fight. It would have been really, really easy to lay down and allow the way the game started to be the way that it finished.”

Down 7-1 after four innings, Philadelphia tied it at 7 in the eighth. Brandon Marsh worked a nine-pitch walk against Mason Thompson leading off, and Drew Ellis singled with one out. Finnegan came on to face Kyle Schwarber, who hit a ground ball up the middle. Shortstop CJ Abrams fielded it behind it behind second base, touched second for one out, but threw wildly to first and Marsh came home with the tying run.

Castellanos’s second homer, a two-run shot to center in the sixth, pulled the Phillies to 7-3 and Marsh added an RBI single in the inning.

In the seventh, Schwarber doubled with one out and Bryson Scott reached on an infield single. Hunter Harvey came on and walked Bryce Harper to load the bases. Castellanos singled to center scoring two runs to make it 7-6.

Luis Garcia homered and Jeimer Candelario doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Nationals, who have won seven of 12.

Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler, coming off eight shutout innings against Atlanta, allowed seven runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

“This one’s on me really,” Wheeler said. “Guys battled back. Just couldn’t finish it out. We know who we have in this room and what we’ve got to do.”

Josiah Gray gave up four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings for Washington.

Candelario doubled just beyond the reach of left fielder Schwarber to drive in the first of Washington’s two runs in the first.

In the second, Abrams hit a one-out drive to deep center that Marsh misplayed into a double. With two outs and two on, Candelario doubled off the wall in right center to make it 5-0.

Garcia ended Wheeler’s night with a solo homer in the fourth.

“When you come out the way we did, you’ve got to tack on,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “It didn’t happen tonight, but we got one more than the other guys.”

CANDY MAN

Candelario is 9 for 26 (.346) with four doubles, a home run, nine RBIs, five walks, and seven runs scored in his last seven games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: Thomson said RHP Taijuan Walker played catch Friday and there are “no worries about his next start.” In a four-inning outing against the Mets on Thursday, Walker’s sinker velocity averaged 90.6 mph, down from 92.7 mph for the season. His fastball, splitter and curveball velocity also dropped.

Nationals: OF Victor Robles (back spasms) took batting practice on the field for the first time since going on the injured list. … LHP Sean Doolittle (elbow) gave up a run on two hits and struck out two batters in 2/3 of an inning working his second straight night for Class A Fredericksburg.

UP NEXT

Phillies: LHP Matt Strahm (4-3, 3.20) will start a bullpen game on Saturday.

Nationals: LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-3, 3.57) went seven innings and struck out a career-high 11 batters in his previous outing – a no decision against the Royals.

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