Zach Eflin Solid vs. Mets; Phils take series

CRÊME PHILADELPHIA – Zach Eflin helped keep the Phillies playoffs alive last week.

Eflin made his second start on the line Wednesday night, scoring five shutouts while the Phillies led 4-0 at Citizens Bank Park. Rhys Hoskins and Odubel Herrera both had the upper hand to lead the Philadelphia offensive. Victory kept the Phillies 5 1/2 behind the Braves of the National League East before the teams start a four-game series on Thursday night in Atlanta. With the defeat of the cardinals, the Phillies are five backs St. Louis for second place Wild Card.

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CRÊME PHILADELPHIA – Zach Eflin helped keep the Phillies playoffs alive last week.

Eflin made his second start on the line Wednesday night, scoring five shutouts while the Phillies led 4-0 at Citizens Bank Park. Rhys Hoskins and Odubel Herrera both had the upper hand to lead the Philadelphia offensive. Victory kept the Phillies 5 1/2 behind the Braves of the National League East before the teams start a four-game series on Thursday night in Atlanta. With the defeat of the cardinals, the Phillies are five backs St. Louis for second place Wild Card.

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The victory over the Mets also allowed the Phillies to win their second straight streak – the first time the Phillies have won consecutive playoffs since July 25th.

"We won two sets in a row, it feels good," said Phillies manager Gabe Kapler. "We have a job in Atlanta, we are prepared, we have thought a lot about it, we know their team, they know ours, so we are ready."

Video: NYM @ PHI: Bautista tracks double RBI in left field

The Phillies took two of three against the Marlins and Mets to close their penultimate season, in 2018, and Eflin won against each team.

The 24-year-old quarterback has a career-high nine outings on Wednesday night. Eflin eliminated three consecutive batters in the third and fourth innings, including Todd Frazier, who flipped his batting helmet to Eflin after chasing a slider from the box to the fourth.

Video: NYM @ PHI: Frazier cheated by slider, points to Eflin

Eflin got his ninth and last withdrawal Michael Conforto, the last hitter he faced. Eflin, who recorded 17 strikes (including seven with his gear change), hit Conforto on a 3-2 move to get two runners.

"In the past years, he seemed to like to hit me," Eflin said of Conforto, who came in against him with an OPS of 0.824. "So, I had to change it a bit, sequencing says a lot about it, I was able to throw throws in a 3-2 run in the fifth inning, I felt really good. and it paid off. "

Eflin scored three goals at the start and made three hits, only one of which left the championship. Eflin has allowed only one inning and eight hits in his last two starts (11 1/3 innings).

Video: NYM @ PHI: Neshek Induces Flyout to End Game

The pair of brisk outflings is a promising sign for Eflin, who had a 7.71 ERA in five starts between Aug. 16 and Sept. 8. He is in line for two more starts in the regular season: Monday against the Rockies September 29 against the Braves in the last match of the Phillies of the regular season.

"In an atmosphere like this, so close to the playoffs, you really have to raise your game and do everything you can on the mound," said Eflin.

Important moments
Rhys Lightning hits early: Hoskins hit his 32nd circuit of the season, taking Noah Syndergaard deep in the opposite field in the first run. Hoskins shot around a 98 mph offer from right-handed for his 11th tour in 2018.

Video: NYM @ PHI: Hoskins debuts solo to open scoring

"Great success does not have to happen in the ninth inning," Kapler said. "Runners do not have to score points, sometimes it's just a thumbs up for the dugout and a boost to our confidence, and I think Rhys has provided them all year round. . "

Hoskins also doubled Syndergaard in the third inning. He became the first player to record two additional Syndergaard base shots in a match since Freddie Freeman did exactly two years earlier on September 19, 2016.

Herrera homers: Herrera struck a master shot at Syndergaard's right field in the fourth inning. The Herrera explosion, its 22nd of the season and the first since August 28, was projected at 357 feet and its launch angle of 37 degrees, according to Statcast ™.

"He went into the batter's box ready to shoot from the jump, I thought it was an excellent performance," Kapler said of Herrera.

Video: NYM @ PHI: Herrera, a 2-point home run right

SOUND SMART
Hoskins was running the 50th of his career. He participated in his 192nd career Major League game and his 686th bat game.

YOU MUST SEE THIS
J.P. Crawford makes the defensive game of the night, getting Jay Bruce to first base on a gently touching ground ball. Bruce struck a weak pitcher to the right of the pitcher's mound, and he managed to dive Luis Avilan. Playing on the right side of the field in a quarter, Crawford, the short stop, took the back and plunged throwing Bruce.

Video: NYM @ PHI: Crawford rocked after the play with bare hands

HE SAID
"We are in a unique position, an exciting position that does not happen often, but I think that as a competitor, it's really all you can ask for, you control your own destiny." – Hoskins, on the Phillies' mood being five and a half games away from the Braves with seven games to play against Atlanta

FOLLOWING
The Phillies have a chance to bridge the gap between them and the Braves this weekend, starting at 7:35 pm. ET Thurs Thursday in Atlanta. Vince Velasquez (9-11, 4.50 ERA), who only threw two innings in his last outing, will be on the mound for the Phillies. right-handed Kevin Gausman (10-10, 3.92) will start for the Braves.