PHILADELPHIA — For Blade Tidwell, this was baseball’s version of a firewalk.
The Mets’ injury-scarred pitching staff — the same one that placed two starters and a reliever on the injured list in the last two weeks alone — put them in an untenable position Friday as they entered Citizens Bank Park tied with the Phillies for first place in the National League East.
Not only were they battered, they were bruised: Their loss to Atlanta on Thursday meant they came in with a six-game losing streak. The offense is taking a siesta, and they were facing the proverbial one that got away in former Met Zack Wheeler.
These aren’t ideal conditions for a kid to get his second chance, especially after getting shellacked in his MLB debut last month. And though Tidwell’s final line wasn’t all that glorious — he allowed two runs and four hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 3 2⁄3 innings — he showed the kind of promise that makes him an intriguing option, albeit one in need of development.
At the very least, he proved that sometimes the only way to pass through the coals is to dance right over them.
Amid the onslaught of bad news, Tidwell, who found out he was starting the previous night and has a 4.76 ERA in 13 games with Triple-A Syracuse, showed distinct improvement from his outing against the Cardinals in early May, particularly early on.
He painted the black with a high-octane fastball, showcased a sharp slider and peppered in his cutter as needed. Most tellingly, when he got into trouble, he kept on moving — quick, efficient and precise, with not much time for overthinking.
That is, until the fourth. That’s when the Phillies loaded the bases with one out. Tidwell allowed a run-scoring forceout before getting lifted for Jose Castillo, who allowed a run-scoring single but otherwise limited the damage.
“It’s going to come down to throwing strikes and controlling his emotions, obviously,” Carlos Mendoza said before the game. “It’s going to be electric here, but this is the second chance he’s getting now.”
Tidwell retired the first five Phillies he faced before J.T. Realmuto singled through the right side of the infield. He then walked Bryson Stott, triggering a meeting on the mound. But the big righty buckled down, striking out Otto Kemp swinging on a 2-and-2 97-mph heater over the top of the zone.
It was much of the same in the third: a runner in scoring position and two outs for Alec Bohm, whom Tidwell struck out looking on a 2-and-2 sinker.
But as he did in his other start in St. Louis — one in which he started relatively strong before allowing four runs in one inning — Tidwell struggled in the fourth. He gave up two singles before losing the strike zone with one out and walking Stott to load the bases, which prompted a meeting on the mound in which Mendoza opted to leave Tidwell in to face Kemp. Kemp hit a high-hopping grounder to Brett Baty, who got the force at second as a run scored, ending Tidwell’s night. He threw 74 pitches, 43 for strikes.
Despite having a plus-slider, a four-seamer in the mid-90s, a two-seamer, a cutter, a changeup and a sweeper, Tidwell relied almost exclusively on his fastball, slider and cutter, topping out at 98.8 mph.
It was by design.
“[He’s] a guy that’s got a lot of pitches and [is] trying to simplify,” Mendoza said, adding that he told Tidwell to just be himself. “Don’t go out there and try to do too much,’’ he said. “Just make sure to stick with what you’ve got here, stick to your strength.”
Those strengths were apparent (as were the weaknesses), but for a young player put in a difficult position, one certainly outweighed the other.
Notes & quotes: Frankie Montas will make his season debut against Atlanta at Citi Field on Tuesday after recovering from the lat injury he suffered in spring training. Montas had a 12.05 ERA in six rehab starts but continues to work with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner to remedy the mechanical issues that he believes have keyed his rough outings . . . Sean Manaea (oblique) pitched 5 1⁄3 3 1/3innings, allowing one run and two hits with no walks and five strikeouts in 62 pitches in a rehab appearance for Triple-A Syracuse. He retired the final 15 batters to face him….. Baty, who exited Sunday’s game against the Rays with a groin injury and hadn’t played since, was back in the lineup Friday, batting eighth and playing third base . . . . Mark Vientos (hamstring) appeared in his second rehab game with Syracuse on Friday, batted second, played third and went 1-for-4 with three RBIs and a strikeout. If all goes well, hHe could rejoin the team as soon as Monday.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.