Mets Score 6 Late-Inning Runs, Rip Phillies
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In a classic case of a tight game turned ugly, the Phillies and Jayson Werth unknotted a 3-3 tie with a 2 out RBI single in the seventh inning. But then the Mets scored 3 runs each in the eighth and ninth off of J.C. Romero, Tom Gordon and Rudy Seanez to win the second game of the series going away by a 9-4 score.
Despite the loss, the NL East leading Phillies remained 3 1/2 games ahead of 2nd place Florida who were pounded by the Colorado Rockies. The 3rd place Mets picked up a game with the win and now trail the Phils by 4 1/2 games. Atlanta, who lost to the Houston Astros, remain 7 games back in 4th place.
Shortstop Jose Reyes and rightfielder Ryan Church each singled to open the game off of veteran lefthander Jamie Moyer, with Reyes going from 1st to 3rd on the hit. Reyes scored the Mets’ 1st run as 3rd baseman David Wright grounded into a double play shortstop-to-second-to-first.
In the fourth inning, Wright doubled to centerfield with one out and stole 3rd base. Centerfielder Carlos Beltran was walked and stole 2nd base. With 1 out, 2nd baseman Damion Easley followed with a 2 run RBI single to centerfield and the Mets were up by 3-0.
Meanwhile, John Maine had sailed through the Phillies lineup retiring 10 in a row. But with 1 out in the fourth inning, centerfielder Shane Victorino was hit by a pitch and then promptly stole 2nd base. Maine then walked Chase Utley before 1st baseman Ryan Howard got the 1st Phillies hit, his 23rd homer of the season to tie the game. Howard has 1 less homer than Utley who holds the MLB homer lead with 24. The big slugger holds the RBIs lead in the NL with 76. Maine then got rightfielder Pat Burrell on strikes and Pedro Feliz on a grounder to shortstop to end the inning.
The game stayed tied through six innings. Maine left the game complaining of cramps in his left glove hand with 2 outs in the sixth inning having thrown 104 pitches and given up 3 runs on only 1 hit while walking 2, hitting a batsman and striking out 5. Reliever Aaron Heilman took over and got the final out of the inning, striking out Howard.
Moyer got into 2nd and 3rd trouble with 2 outs in the seventh and was replaced by reliever Ryan Madson who got David Wright to ground out to shortstop to end the inning. Moyer went 6 2/3 innings, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits while walking 2 and striking out 4.
Reliever Joe Smith replaced Heilman to open the seventh. With runners on 1st and 2nd base with 2 out, Jerry Manuel and Charlie Manuel played chess. Charlie sent lefthanded pinch hitter Greg Dobbs to bat for Madson, whereupon Jerry Manuel went to lefthanded Pedro Feliciano. In turn, Charlie sent righthanded hitting Jayson Werth to pinch hit for Dobbs.
It appeared the Charlie won the chess match as Werth stroked an RBI single to left and the Phils held a 4-3 lead. Werth was caught trying to take 2nd base on the play’s throw home ending the inning.
But the Phillies’ lead didn’t last long as, in the final analysis, Charlie won the strategy battle, but Jerry Manuel won the game as the Mets roughed up Romero, Gordon and Seanez for 3 runs each in the eighth and ninth innings to end the Phillies’ four-game winning streak.
AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston describes the late innings for Yahoo sports;
Pinch-hitter Brian Schneider lined a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning… with two outs. He was the Mets’ third pinch-hitter of the inning as they overcame a 4-3 deficit.
Damion Easley, who had three hits, singled with one out in the Mets eighth and Carlos Delgado followed with a single. Gordon threw a wild pitch that made it 4-all, pinch-hitter Marlon Anderson walked and pinch-hitter Endy Chavez grounded out, moving the runners to second and third.
Schneider batted for Feliciano and doubled to right-center. The NL East-leading Phillies were booed off the field at the end of the inning.
The Mets earned some payback after blowing the game in the ninth on Friday.
There was a 14-minute rain delay in the top of the ninth. The Mets scored three times, capped by an RBI single from Chavez.
“Our bullpen’s done an outstanding job for us. It’s why we are where we are,” Moyer said. “The effort was there, we just fell short. Our bullpen’s been a big plus for me.”
Just not on this night.
Feliciano, who gave up the temporary lead run on Werth’s single, recorded his 1st win vs 2 losses for 1/3 inning’s work. Romero was tagged with his 2nd loss vs 4 wins and Gordon was charged with a blown save. Seanez was plundered for 3 runs on 4 hits while pitching 2/3rds of the ninth inning. Clay Condrey came on to get the final out in the Mets’ ninth.
Phillies’ bats went silent late, although they managed to get 2 on against reliever Duaner Sanchez, but to no avail. Tony Armas went 3 up, 3 down putting the lights out on the Phils in the ninth.
For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Saturday’s games, click here.
In Sunday’s 3rd game, Kyle Kendrick goes for his 9th win vs 3 losses vs lefthander Oliver Perez (6-5). In Monday’s final, Adam Eaton opposes Pedro Martinez.
The St. Louis Cardinals follow the Mets into Citizen’s Bank Park on Tuesday for a 3 game series.
For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Sunday’s and Monday’s games, click here and here.
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