In the New York Mets' 5-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, runs were hard to come by until the Mets' eighth-inning uprising. That had much to do with a typically dominant Zack Wheeler, who worked seven shutout innings while allowing only one hit and racking up 30 swings and misses. However, the Phillies also weren't able to break through outside of a Kyle Schwarber leadoff home. That's the case despite the fact that Mets starter Kodai Senga was making just his second start of the season and first since July.
These things happen, of course, but one culprit – to hear both teams tell it – was the shadowy visuals of Citizens Bank Park thanks to 4 p.m. ET start. The late afternoon sun mixed with those shadows did hitters no favors. Phillies manager Rob Thomson said as much pregame when he cited the complicated afternoon backdrop as his reason for going with a "defense first" outfield alignment of Johan Rojas in center and Brandon Marsh in left.
After the game, Phillies hitters Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos spoke to the challenges.
"I feel like from the first inning to the seventh inning, it was really hard to see the baseball," Castellanos, who went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts Saturday, said after the game. "I think on both sides. What did we have? Three hits in the first seven innings? I think both teams, after the sun was behind the stadium, put together better at-bats."
Turner, who also struck out twice during his 0 for 4 day, argued that "as soon as the sun went away, the bats got a lot better on both sides."
And on the Mets' side, they too dealt with the poor visibility on a day when Wheeler probably didn't need the help.
"First at-bat, obviously you saw, I was trying to figure out sunglasses or no sunglasses, and neither one helped," Brandon Nimmo said after his 2 for 4, two RBI day. "Couldn't see it out of his hand and then once he did pick it up, it was just a black ball and I couldn't see any laces, I couldn't see anything. So you literally are just swinging at a black ball. You're hoping it's in the middle of the plate when you see it. And then like that last one just disappeared."
Mark Vientos, who tied the game for the Mets in the eighth to start the five-run inning, said it was "tough to see."
"You had those shadows that weren't fun," he told reporters. "It was very tough."
This brings us to the pivotal Game 2, in which right-hander Luis Severino will go for the Mets opposite Philly lefty Cristopher Sánchez. The start time is the same as it was for the visually complicated Game 1, 4:08 p.m. local time. As a result, Mets and Phillies hitters may have another challenging go of it, at least until the late innings when dusk and evening take hold. It'll be particularly interesting to see how those conditions affect Mets hitters against Sánchez.
On the one hand, Sánchez this season has been much more effective at home – indeed Thomson cited those home-road splits in deciding to push back Aaron Nola to Game 3 at Citi Field. On the other hand, Sánchez has established vulnerabilities against the opposite side, and the Mets' offense this season has been much more effective against lefties than righties. Perhaps the mix of shadows and light in Philly will break the tie in Sánchez's favor? Along similar lines, maybe the afternoon sun will mean we get another dose of late-inning dramatics in this NLDS.