Phillies fumble a chance to sweep the Marlins as Orion Kerkering gives up a late three-run homer

Four outs from sweeping a team that almost certainly will lose 100 games, it seemed like a safe thing for the Phillies to think about, if not say aloud.

Bring on the Mets.

Uh, not so fast.

Because reliever Orion Kerkering coughed up a two-run lead by hanging a slider in the eighth inning Sunday. And despite tying the game, albeit with a considerable assist from the Marlins’ defense, the Phillies left the winning run in scoring position in the ninth and fell in the 10th, 7-5, on Easter at Citizens Bank Park.

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So, instead of pulling into New York 194 days (hey, who’s counting?) after a postseason vanquishing by the Mets on the high of a three-game sweep of the Marlins, the Phillies (13-9) arrive amid the sting of dropping a game they should’ve won.

“Last year was last year,” Kerkering said of meeting the 15-7 Mets. “We just lost, I wouldn’t say an easy game, but a game in our hands. I think that’s more the focus.”

Sure, but everything about the 2025 Phillies is framed by the expectation of returning to the playoffs and getting another crack at the World Series. And the pressure was only ratcheted up after what happened the last time they visited Citi Field.

Need a refresher? OK, here goes: The Phillies got bounced by the Mets in the divisional round last October in large part because the bullpen allowed 17 runs in four games, a stunning meltdown by a group that was mostly solid all season.

Now, subtract two of manager Rob Thomson’s most trusted late-inning arms (Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez) in free agency, add struggling Jordan Romano and middle reliever Joe Ross, and play 12 one- or two-run games in a 17-game span early in the season.

Is it any wonder the Phillies’ bullpen has’ a 5.81 ERA so far?

“It’s just part of the season, and I think that’ll even itself out over time,” Thomson said after Kerkering yielded a go-ahead three-run homer to Javier Sanoja and Matt Strahm allowed two runs in the 10th — all one day after Romano nearly blew a seven-run lead. “We played so many close games there for a long period of time that, yeah, we did lean on them. But they’re a pretty resilient group.”

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They also appear to be a man short.

At the risk of making too much of 22 games — 13.6% of the schedule, or roughly the first quarter of Week 3 in an NFL season — Thomson has used Alvarado and Strahm 11 times apiece. Kerkering has made nine appearances. It hasn’t helped that Romano has a 15.26 ERA in nine appearances, including his implosion Saturday against the Marlins.

“We just got super lucky last year with how the starters went super well and super long,” Kerkering said. “Everyone was throwing complete games, I felt like, and we were just sitting there lackadaisical almost, in a good way. This year, we’re working a little bit harder than last year, but it’s still a job we’ve got to do.”

Maybe the Phillies could’ve squeezed another inning from Jesús Luzardo in the finale against the Marlins. But the defense didn’t do him any favors in the seventh inning. Matt Mervis doubled on a chopper that Bryce Harper was unable to corral before Bryson Stott booted a backhander to allow an unearned run to score.

Luzardo threw 21 of his 88 pitches in the seventh inning, and when he walked off the mound, Thomson determined it was enough.

“It’s always his call,” said Luzardo, who has a 2.08 ERA through five starts. “I felt good today, thankfully, and look forward to feeling good next start.”

Said Thomson: “I want to keep him healthy. It looked like he emptied the tank.”

Besides, Kerkering hadn’t pitched since Thursday. Alvarado had to clean up Romano’s mess Saturday but threw only two pitches.

The bullpen was lined up.

But Kerkering hung a first-pitch sweeper to Connor Norby for a single and gave up a single to Otto Lopez. He got the next two batters before trying to throw a low-and-away sweeper to Sanoja. It stayed over the plate for Sanoja’s first major league homer.

“That one pitch, that’s all it really was,” Kerkering said. “I had a good game plan. The ball in play was really it.”

The Phillies tied it in the bottom of the eighth. Pinch-hitting Cal Stevenson, called up earlier in the day to replace injured Brandon Marsh (hamstring), beat out a hit on a grounder that was bobbled by Lopez at second base, enabling Nick Castellanos to score from third.

And they appeared poised to win it in the ninth. But Kyle Schwarber and Castellanos popped out with the winning run on second base.

With the auto-runner on second base to open the 10th, Strahm gave up the go-ahead run on Dane Myers’ bunt single and a sacrifice fly by Kyle Stowers. Sanoja lined an RBI single to tack on another run.

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There won’t be much rest for the bullpen, either. As the Phillies return to the belly of the beast from last October, the division-leading Mets have won four consecutive games and seven of their last 10.

Kerkering insists the relievers are unbowed, even if they’ve been bending more than the Phillies bargained for.

“No one’s really changed their attitude or nobody’s said like, ‘Oh, we have to be this kind of bullpen because Hoffy left or Carlos left,’ and we’ve got a different vibe,” Kerkering said. “It’s the same vibe as it’s always been. It’s always like, ‘Let’s keep going, keep the happy attitude, and when it’s bullpen time, be ready to go.’”