The Philadelphia Phillies dropped to 13-12 after a crushing extra-innings loss that sealed a series sweep at the hands of the first-place New York Mets, who now lead the NL East by five games.

The script felt all too familiar: plenty of baserunners, but not enough timely hits to capitalize. The bullpen faltered once again, with Jordan Romano continuing to be a source of frustration for Phillies fans. It’s a rough stretch right now in Philadelphia.

This team has made a habit of starting slow and heating up late—2024 being the rare exception—but recurring issues seem to carry over from year to year. Sure, the Phillies are talented. But in today’s National League, “good” just isn’t good enough.

The offense goes cold at the worst possible times, Rob Thomson’s handling of his substitutions remains questionable, and the pitching staff is constantly battling injuries. The Mets look like legitimate contenders, but getting swept at Citi Field—especially with two lackluster showings and a walk-off loss in extras—is a tough pill to swallow.

As usual, most of the criticism is landing on Thomson. While it’s common to point fingers at the manager, in this case, it feels warranted. He needs to be sharper in managing matchups and making the right moves when it counts.

Rob Thomson hits new low as Phillies fall five games behind Mets with series-sweeping loss

Last game was a rough one for Rob Thomson. While he’s never been known as the most fiery or demonstrative manager, moments like these have fans—especially in Philly—craving more visible urgency and bold decision-making from the guy at the helm.

The scrutiny really kicked in during the eighth inning. Nick Castellanos was gunned down at home trying to score the go-ahead run on a single from Max Kepler. The play ended the inning, and at first glance, it was a straightforward out. But in a tight game with momentum on the line, every decision gets magnified—and fans wanted to see more fire, more protest, more leadership in that moment.

When the margins are this thin and the team’s skidding, even small moments can snowball into defining narratives. For Thomson, that play—and his response to it—just added fuel to the fire.

Thomson, for his part, didn’t think the out at home was as clear-cut as it looked. And to be fair, not every bang-bang play ends up being what it seems in real time. With the game hanging in the balance, he opted to challenge the call—but hesitated just a bit too long. By the time he made the decision, it was too late. The umpires denied the challenge, and the call stood.

That’s the kind of moment that grinds on a frustrated fanbase. It’s not just about getting the call overturned—it’s about showing a sense of urgency, of fighting for every edge. The delay in challenging, followed by a seemingly indifferent reaction when it was denied, only deepened the exasperation.

Philly fans aren’t asking for theatrics—they just want to see their manager match the intensity of the moment. And in this case, it felt like Thomson came up short.

But fine—Castellanos was out, the score remained tied, and the Phillies got through the ninth without incident. That set the stage for extra innings—a golden chance to snatch a much-needed win from a top division rival.

So who did Rob Thomson turn to in this high-leverage, do-or-die moment? None other than Jordan Romano—the bullpen’s biggest liability so far this season. It’s a baffling choice, considering Romano has yet to come close to the All-Star form the Phillies hoped for when they pegged him as their closer.

Why the struggling right-hander was given the ball in such a critical spot is anyone’s guess. But the result was exactly what fans feared. Romano unraveled almost instantly, surrendering two hits, a walk, and two runs in less than a third of an inning. Game over.

Needless to say, Phillies fans are furious—and rightfully so. Romano now owns a brutal 13.50 ERA through 11 outings (9.1 innings), including a staggering 16.88 ERA over his last seven appearances. The numbers are ugly, the results worse, and Thomson’s trust in him at this point is, at best, mystifying.

Before the Romano meltdown, though, Rob Thomson did finally flash a bit of fire. In the top of the 10th, Mets closer Edwin Díaz was initially called for a balk after his third disengagement—a ruling that would’ve moved the ghost runner to third and potentially changed the inning’s complexion.

But in a bizarre twist, the umpires reversed the call, citing an apparent injury to Díaz as the reason. It was a head-scratching decision, and one that understandably sent Phillies fans—and eventually Thomson—over the edge.

To his credit, this was the moment that finally got Thomson out of the dugout and visibly fired up. He confronted the umpires in a rare show of animation, clearly frustrated by what looked like a blown call and inconsistent application of the rules.

It was the kind of fire fans had been wanting to see all game—and while it came late, it was at least something. Unfortunately, the momentum fizzled as quickly as it flared, and what followed was a bullpen decision that erased any chance of a feel-good finish.

Yeah, it might seem petty to harp on Thomson’s lack of arguments with umpires—like, who really cares, right? But in Philly, emotion matters. It’s part of the DNA. That passion, that fire—it’s what connects the city to its teams. It’s why Nick Nurse’s low-energy, defeated demeanor didn’t sit well with Sixers fans this season. And it’s exactly why Nick Sirianni, for all his ups and downs, remains a fan favorite. He wins with swagger, with defiance, with that chip-on-the-shoulder Philly edge. That stuff resonates here, especially when paired with results.

Thomson’s issues, of course, go well beyond the optics of a missed ejection or a quiet dugout. The decision to bench Bryson Stott—one of the hottest bats in the lineup—against an average lefty just doesn’t make sense. At some point, you’ve got to trust your young players to learn and grow in real-time, especially when they’re producing. Instead, we got Weston Wilson and Johan Rojas trotting out there. That’s not exactly a winning recipe.

The good news? This team will find its rhythm again. The talent is there, and this is still a playoff-caliber roster, no question. But right now, the energy is off, the confidence is shaken, and Thomson’s at the eye of the storm—fair or not. The vibes are bad, and in Philly, bad vibes don’t go unnoticed.