The Philadelphia Phillies posted a 3-0 win over the New York Mets on Thursday night and returned to Citi Field on Friday still chasing both a division title and the top National League wild-card seed.
Left-hander Tim Mayza was scheduled to start for Philadelphia. The Mets countered with left-hander Zac Thornton.
That pitching matchup prompted another lineup change from interim manager Don Mattingly. All-Star outfielder Brandon Marsh was held out of the starting nine against the southpaw.
Edmundo Sosa started in left field in Marsh’s place. Derek Hill was in center field. Bryce Harper shifted to right field.
The rest of the order stayed familiar. Kyle Schwarber led off as the designated hitter. Trea Turner batted second at shortstop. Harper hit third. Luis Arraez starts at second base, Alec Bohm at first, Bryson Stott at third and J.T. Realmuto behind the plate.
Mayza entered the start 3-3 with a 3.06 ERA in 64 2/3 innings. Thornton was 4-5 with a 3.44 ERA over 73 1/3 innings in his first major league season.
Mattingly has used a platoon for Marsh against left-handed starters for much of the second half, even after Marsh’s first All-Star selection. The numbers still support the approach.
Marsh is hitting .275 with a .749 OPS against right-handers this season. Against left-handers, those marks drop to .220 and .603.
In his sixth major league season, Marsh has played 146 games. He has 132 hits, 17 home runs, 58 RBIs and 69 runs in 504 at-bats, slashing .262/.306/.409 with a .715 OPS.
Those totals still represent one of the stronger seasons of his career. The production has cooled since the All-Star break, and the recent sample against left-handed pitching has not forced a change in the platoon.
Philadelphia entered Friday at 85-68, matching the Chicago Cubs for the top wild-card position. The Phillies remained 4 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East after Atlanta’s 89-64 start.
A first-place wild-card finish would give Philadelphia a best-of-three opening series at home. The Cubs would be the most likely opponent if the two clubs hold their current positions.
The Phillies are 44-34 on the road. They have won two straight after shutting out the Mets on Thursday.
Marsh can still enter as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement. He has spent most of his innings in left field this year, with additional time in center and right.
Sosa has been the primary alternative in left when Mattingly sits Marsh. Hill has filled the extra outfield spot in several of those games.
Thornton’s cutter-heavy mix has limited walks this season, with 16 walks against 55 strikeouts. Mayza has been used both in relief and as an opener or spot starter, posting a 1.05 WHIP.
Philadelphia’s remaining schedule includes two more games in New York, then a homestand against Milwaukee. The Brewers already have the NL Central title locked up.
Every remaining series carries playoff-seeding weight. The Phillies cannot control Atlanta’s results, but they can keep pressure on the Cubs by taking the series in Queens.
Marsh’s season line still includes 11 stolen bases and 19 doubles. The strikeout total sits at 134, and the walk rate has been modest at 32 bases on balls.
The club has treated the lefty-righty split as a late-season constant rather than a one-night experiment. Friday’s lineup was the latest example.
