Phillies (53-85) at Mets (59-79)
7:10 p.m. on CSN; streaming live on CSNPhilly.com and the NBC Sports App
Youth was served in the Phillies' 9-1 win over the Mets Tuesday night.
There were the homer and four RBIs from pitcher Ben Lively, who also went seven innings and allowed just one run.
There was Rhys Hoskins reaching base in four of five plate appearances.
There was Jorge Alfaro's 3-for-5 night.
There was the three-RBI game from Nick Williams.
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And, of course, there was the debut of J.P. Crawford, who went 1 for 5 with a bloop single to center field.
As a result, the Phillies beat Jacob deGrom for the first time in his 11 career starts against them (see story).
• For as much as the Phillies have struggled in 2017, they're seeing some of what they need to see right now. Hoskins, Williams and Alfaro have all produced at the plate and created some hope and momentum for 2018.
In 417 combined plate appearances, that trio has hit .298/.369/.538 for a collective .907 OPS. To put that in perspective, that slash line falls somewhere between the 2017 seasons of Nelson Cruz, Marcell Ozuna and Ryan Zimmerman. Not bad for three rookies.
• Per Jayson Stark, Lively last night became only the fourth pitcher in the last 100 years to homer twice in his first 11 games. The others were John Montefusco (1974), Don Durham (1972) and Tom Griffin (1969).
So this means that Lively is the first pitcher to do it in 43 years.
• According to CSN producer Dan Roche, last night was the first time since 2010 that all nine Phillies in the starting lineup scored a run.
• Matt Harvey was supposed to start for the Mets tonight on short rest but has been scratched because the forecast calls for heavy rain. As of noon on Wednesday, the forecast called for more than a 70 percent chance of rain from 5 p.m. through midnight.
In terms of postponement, this is the last time in 2017 the Phillies travel to New York. The teams do have a common off-day on Sept. 11. Making up the game that day could be an option, as could canceling it altogether since both teams are already mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.
If the game is played tonight, it looks like left-handed journeyman Tommy Milone will be the Mets' spot starter.
• Nick Pivetta (5-9, 6.28) starts for the Phillies. He's coming off his best outing since July 31 after limiting the Marlins to one run in six innings last Friday.
Pivetta has been able to keep the ball low more effectively in his last two starts and as a result, has induced 21 groundballs. That's more than he generated in his previous four starts combined.
Pivetta last faced the Mets on Aug. 11 and allowed six runs (five earned) in 4⅔ innings. The last time he faced them at Citi Field, though, he pitched seven innings of one-run ball.
