Mets' offense stymied by Aaron Nola and Phillies in 3-0 loss

The Mets' offense struggled against the Phillies, 3-0, in the first game of a four-game series on Thursday night at Citi Field. Nolan McLean was solid over the first four innings, keeping the Phillies off balance with his full arsenal. However, soft contact in the fifth inning opened the scoring. Bryce Harper's slow grounder allowed Brandon Marsh to score from third base, making it 1-0 for Philadelphia.

Aaron Nola then took over, holding the Mets hitless in the first five innings. The Mets managed just one hit against Nola in that span, limiting him to 47 pitches. The team eventually got a hit in the sixth inning, but Luis Arraez's sacrifice fly and the next run scored on a sac fly extended the Phillies' lead to 2-0. The Mets managed one more hit against Nola in the sixth inning, but a double play ended the threat.

In the seventh inning, two back-to-back singles set up an opportunity for A.J. Ewing, but he grounded out to end the inning with the runners stranded. Aaron Nola finished with seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits, walking three, and striking out four. The incident in the sixth inning, where Jared Young was kneed in the head by McLean, left Young lying face down on the field before being taken to the hospital for evaluation.

The Mets and Phillies will continue their series on Friday night at 7:15, with Zac Thornton starting for New York and Philadelphia yet to announce a starter.