God seems to have given the Mets a big, sloppy kiss on the mouth

The first two innings of the final NLDS game between the Phillies and Mets were aesthetically hideous from all angles. Second half Ranger Suárez, not to be confused with first half Ranger Suárez, loaded the bases with one out in the first half and escaped without a scratch. An inning later, he did the same thing again. So it didn't feel like the Phillies' luck ran out in the sixth inning when the bullpen loaded the bases with Francisco Lindor running, but more like an inevitability. What do you think could have happened other than a Grand Slam?

There are clear and discreet explanations for defeats: a brace from Bryce Harper, who failed to score; a foul ball that certainly looked fair and put Carlos Estévez in a bases-loaded situation; The existence of Francisco Lindor. And then there are explanations that lack catharsis in their breadth: the offense should have been, I don't know, more severe; Jeff Hoffman, who had a 2.17 ERA in the regular season, probably shouldn't have had a 40.50 ERA this postseason, but that's a relief to you. It wasn't the first-round bye that slowed the Phillies' momentum; After the All-Star Game, there were exactly .500 teams. That doesn't change the fact that they were very, very good early in the season or that they were still the better team here on paper, but the Mets refuse to play games on paper.

“Do I think they are a better team than us? No,” said Nick Castellanos after the 4-1 defeat. “But this series was them.”

Playoff baseball, right? The Phillies had lost momentum down the stretch and were facing a team and a fan base that in some ways believe they are destined to win the World Series, and it's hard to blame them given the ridiculous Consider things that happened in the World Series last month. light up; The Mets weren't going to lose this game. There were three innings left after Lindor's grand slam, and the Mets had a three-run lead – a difficult task, but not an insurmountable one. But the top of the Phillies' line came and went in the eighth; Even after the more recently mercurial Edwin Díaz opened the ninth inning with two batters raised only lukewarm hopes, and lo and behold, a visit to the mound got him back on his feet.

But for my money, Brandon Marsh's infield single in the seventh inning was the play that most showcased the relentlessness of this year's Mets. Jose Iglesias grabbed the ball and ran toward second base, and instead of eating it when he initially had no chance to get Marsh out, he hurled it behind his back to Lindor. The fact that Lindor caught the ball is completely irrelevant – that's the kind of play you make when you don't even consider the possibility that something could go wrong. Of course, Marsh was eliminated three pitches later on a double play. If the Mets have become the 2022 Phillies, the Phillies have assumed the role of the 2022 Atlanta Braves. This is apparently the Faustian bargain of consistent success in the regular season.

Speaking of which: On the other hand, the Dodgers beat the Padres and tied the series, so we have to thank them for delaying the official start of the series-long discourse until at least tomorrow. Unfortunately, we don't have time for a 75-game series, so it's best to take the hits as they come and root for the Tigers the rest of the way.