The Mets will gladly sign up for Logan Verrett to continue to post quality outings like the one he produced Saturday night against the Phillies.
They just need to get some timely hits next time to not put a fine effort to waste.
Verrett allowed just two runs in six innings, but the Mets went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and fell to the Phillies, 4-2, on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park.
The right-hander received a no-decision after the Mets’ bullpen allowed two runs and the offense stranded seven runners.
The Mets are asking Verrett to fill in for Matt Harvey while they wait for Zack Wheeler to return, and the pressure is on Verrett to produce. Verrett posted a 9.33 ERA in his previous four starts entering Saturday, but team staffers hope he can pitch like he did in April when he served as a spot starter.
In his second spot start for Harvey, Verrett produced a fine effort by battling to hold the Phillies to just the two runs on eight hits. He struck out four and walked one. Jerry Blevins (3-1) took the loss.
Verrett encountered little resistance in the first three innings, aside from Ryan Howard’s homer in the second that gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead. He then pitched consistently from the fourth inning on. He stranded a pair in the fourth, and allowed a run in the fifth that tied the game at 2.
The Phillies recorded two doubles in the frame, but Verrett held them to just the one run.
In the sixth, a fantastic play helped Verrett end his night with having allowed just the two runs. With two on and two out, Jerad Eickhoff hit a slow grounder to shortstop that he beat out, but first baseman James Loney made a nice throw to home and Travis d’Arnaud applied the tag to nail Carlos Ruiz as he tried to score.
Ruiz had been at second and tried to take the extra base on the slow grounder.
Verrett will need more outings like this going forward to cement his spot in the rotation, but the team is not brimming with options if he falters. Sean Gilmartin, Seth Lugo and prospect Gabriel Ynoa are internal candidates, but Verrett has enjoyed the most success as a starter in the majors of the group.
“This moment we don’t have a lot of options but he’s got to give us good innings. That’s the job of any pitcher: to go out there and pitch as well as you can for as long as you can,” Mets manager Terry Collins said.
“We’ve seen this guy has pitched enough good games for us as a starting pitcher to think he has good innings left in him. We’re hoping that now with a bit more of a consistent role that he starts to find that command that makes him so effective.
“I don’t think there is any reason for him to look over his shoulder, but we’re in a pennant race. All five of (the starters) should be concerned about doing their job.”
Verrett gave the Mets a chance to claim a second straight game against the Phillies, but the offense had another poor showing with runners in scoring position.
One night after going 1-for-8, the Mets went 0-for-7 Saturday - although they did manufacture their first two runs against Eickhoff.
With the game tied 2 in the seventh, d’Arnaud led off with a double to left and made a heads-up baserunning play to avoid being tagged out after Brandon Nimmo hit a chopper to the mound.
That left the Mets with runners on first and second with no outs, but they were unable to score following a sacrifice bunt. Kelly Johnson flied out to left with one out, and following a walk by Jose Reyes that loaded the bases, Asdrubal Cabrera lined out to left to end the jam.
The Phillies took the lead in the bottom of the inning following an error by Cabrera, with Maikel Franco lacing a single to left to give the Phillies a 3-2 edge.
RESULTS
Chicago Cubs 3 Texas 1
Boston 5 NY Yankees 2
Oakland 5 Toronto 4
Seattle 1 Houston 0
Baltimore 2 Tampa Bay 1
Philadelphia 4 NY Mets 2
Washington 6 Pittsburgh 0
Kansas City 8 Detroit 4
Minnesota 5 Cleveland 4 (11 innings)
Colorado 4 Atlanta 3
Milwaukee 9 Cincinnati 1
St. Louis 5 Miami 0
Arizona 2 LA Dodgers 1 (12 innings)
San Diego 7 San Francisco 6 (10 innings)
LA Angels 1 Chicago White Sox 0