Jason Vargas’ clunker leaves Phillies with a deficit they can’t overcome in 6-3 loss to Mets

The out-of-town scoreboard flashed the result that mattered most to the Phillies in the middle of their game with the New York Mets Saturday afternoon.

Milwaukee 2, Chicago Cubs 0.

A win meant the Phillies could climb within 2 ½ games of the Cubs in the National League race for the second wild-card spot. A loss meant Milwaukee and the Mets would once again be right on their tail in the crowded field of hopeful playoff teams as the calendar turned from August to the season’s final month.

Given how often the Phillies have failed to seize opportunity this season, you can probably guess what happened.

They got a clunker from Jason Vargas in the veteran lefty’s start against his former team and could not overcome an early deficit in a 6-3 loss that left them 3 ½ games behind Chicago for the second wildcard.

“Super frustrating,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. “It’s a game we have to win. We have to come out tomorrow and be better.”

The Phillies have at least been alone as the first team behind the Cubs for a while, but now they are just a half game ahead of Milwaukee and the Mets, and they have an unfavorable pitching matchup (Zach Eflin vs. Marcus Stroman) as they attempt to avoid a three-game sweep in front of a national television audience Sunday night.

The first five innings Sunday were played at a crawling pace as Vargas struggled through his worst start of the season. He allowed more baserunners (13) than he recorded outs (12), surrendering nine hits, walking three and hitting one batter.

“Not a lot of hard contact, but lots of hits,” Kapler said. “He was kind of pitching with traffic the entire game.”

Vargas, 0-2 with a 5.18 ERA in six starts with the Phillies, was frustrated on a variety of levels.

“It’s frustrating in the fact that we know where we are and wins are at a premium,” the pitcher said. “Definitely more frustrating (with the Cubs losing), but just frustrating in general to not get it done. It’s even more frustrating when you’re feeling really good because I felt really strong, and I was making quality pitches inside. They were sticking to their game plan and prolonging innings by staying on pitches that were down and away.”

The Mets were up 2-1 when Wilson Ramos, who earlier had extended his hitting streak to 24 games with an RBI single, led off the fifth with a single. Vargas’ third walk of the day put runners at first and second with nobody out before Todd Frazier continued to do damage at Citizens Bank Park with an RBI double. Vargas exited after surrendering a two-run double to Joe Panik that gave New York a 5-1 lead.

After one of the Phillie Phanatic’s friends from the Galapagos Gang ate a faux Mets’ fan during the mascot’s end-of-the-fifth-inning routine, the Phillies showed signs of life in the sixth. It started with Bryce Harper’s 29th home run of the season, a solo shot off Mets lefty Steve Matz, who had cruised into the sixth inning.

A fielding error by Panik was followed by consecutive singles from Corey Dickerson and Scott Kingery, which loaded the bases with nobody out and ended Matz’s outing.

Cesar Hernandez, facing lefty reliever Luis Avilan, lined a shot down the third-base line that was snared by Frazier. It was a play that prevented at least two runs from scoring.

Andrew Knapp drew a pinch-hit walk from Avilan to force in a run with one out, but the Phillies’ rally abruptly died when rookie Adam Haseley hit into a 4-6-3 double play.

The Phillies managed just two more hits the rest of the game, which ended with energized Mets’ fans loudly cheering on their team.

“We’ve just got to win,” Harper said after another disturbing home loss. “We control our own destiny. It’s so bundled up right now, but we’ve just got to play and win our games and not worry about how many games we have left or how many games we are out.”

Harper referred to the 2007 Phillies’ rally to take down the Mets.

“It’s never too late until the season is over,” he said.

If there’s a miracle finish awaiting this Phillies team, it is very well hidden at the moment.