Mets crumble in sloppy loss to Phillies as struggles continue

PHILADELPHIA — Rain, wind and slop.

The first two of those words described the conditions at Citizens Bank Park for much of Wednesday’s game and the third summarized the Mets’ play.

Joey Lucchesi, thrust into the rotation for his first start this season, lost the strike zone in a fifth inning that largely decided the game, but the left-hander wasn’t alone in sinking the Mets in their 10-5 loss to the Phillies.

The Mets, who lost their third straight — and for the fifth time in six games — committed two errors and weren’t sharp on multiple other plays defensively.

And the Mets were relatively quiet offensively until after they had fallen into a sizable hole.

“We have got work to do and that is the messaging to the players,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We’re going through a rough stretch right now. We didn’t play a good game today or a clean game.”

Lucchesi, who imploded in the fifth, allowed five earned runs on five hits and four walks.

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The Mets’ rough night continued with Grant Hartwig and Adrian Houser on the mound, as the Phillies scored five runs (three of which were unearned) in the sixth and seventh innings combined to turn it into a runaway.

“I felt really good today and felt like I [was] on point sharp except for that last inning,” Lucchesi said.

Mark Vientos smashed an RBI double on the first pitch he received following his recall from Triple-A Syracuse to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

The run against Ranger Suarez was unearned after Johan Rojas dropped Brandon Nimmo’s fly ball leading off the game.

Francisco Lindor was hit by a pitch in the inning.

Bryce Harper, who missed Tuesday’s game at Citi Field with migraines, blasted a two-out homer against Lucchesi in the first to tie it 1-1.

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The homer was Harper’s 10th of the season.

Pete Alonso doubled leading off the third and took third on Cristian Pache’s throwing error before scoring on a wild pitch to give the Mets a 2-1 lead.

Nick Castellanos singled in the fourth, but was thrown out by Starling Marte attempting to stretch the hit into a double.

Lucchesi needed only eight pitches to escape the inning.

Lucchesi’s night unraveled in the fifth when he walked three batters and surrendered four earned runs.

After Edmundo Sosa and Pache walked in succession to begin the inning, Rojas bunted and Lucchesi threw to third, attempting to nail the lead runner. But Vientos was late reaching the bag, loading the bases for the Phillies.

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Kyle Schwarber walked to force in a run and J.T. Realmuto’s RBI single placed the Mets in a 3-2 hole. Harper followed with a two-run double — on which Realmuto was thrown out at the plate — to conclude Lucchesi’s night.

“Maybe they were being more patient — that is how they drew the walks,” Lucchesi said. “Then I missed more middle when the bases were loaded.”

Hartwig drilled Bryson Stott leading off the bottom of the sixth and Sosa’s single put runners on the corners before Pache hit a grounder that Vientos bobbled, costing him the double play.

Vientos got the out at first and Stott scored, giving the Phillies a 6-2 lead. With two outs, Schwarber hit a grounder that McNeil smothered and threw away, allowing another run.

“We’re playing good teams,” Mendoza said, also referring to the Mets’ games against the Braves last weekend. “But it’s one of those where one day it’s the offense … we’re just not clicking right now and the free bases or extra bases, when you are playing good teams they are going to make you pay for it. This is something we will continually address and we have got to get better.”

After the Phillies padded their lead with three runs in the seventh — Lindor’s fielding error contributed — J.D. Martinez homered in the eighth and McNeil and Tomas Nido each delivered a run-scoring hit.

“Even when we got down, guys continued to have good at-bats and put pressure on them,” Mendoza said. “From the offensive part I thought we had a good game.”

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