Mets Pound Moyer, Sweep Phillies
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Phillies veteran lefthander Jamie Moyer was pounded for 7 runs in 2 1/3 innings, including 3 homers while the Mets’ Mike Pelfrey pitched a quality 7 innings. The Phils rallied back from a 7-1 deficit but couldn’t come all the way back as the Mets prevailed to sweep the Phillies by a 7-5 margin on Thursday.
The Phils got on the board against Pelfrey in the first inning as shortstop Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a single to leftfield. After centerfielder Shane Victorino and 2nd baseman Chase Utley were retired, 1st baseman Ryan Howard doubled in Rollins with the first run. Rightfielder Jayson Werth followed with a single to leftfield with Hoard, surprisingly, going to 3rd base on the play. Werth had a perfect 4 for 4 game with 2 RBIs an 2 runs scored.
It looked like the Phils might tack more runs on the board in the first. Leftfielder Raul Ibanez got ahead of Pelfrey 3-0, but then grounded weakly to 1st base for the final out.
The Mets wasted little in pounding Moyer. After striking out lead-off hitter shortstop Jose Reyes, Moyer walked 2nd baseman Luis Castillo on 5 pitches and centerfielder Carlos Beltran drew a full count before homering to leftfield to give the Mets a quick 2-1 lead. 1st baseman Carlos Delgado followed taking Moyer to a 3-1 count before doubling to rightfield. 3r baseman David Wright followed blistering Moyer’s 1-2 pitch out to centerfield to put the Mets up 4-1. Things looked like a disaster in the works as Moyer walked rightfielder Gary Sheffield on 4 pitches. But Moyer managed to retire leftfielder Fernando Tatis and catcher Ramon Castro to finally end the inning.
Meanwhile, Pelfrey got through the 2nd inning despite a single and a walk to Moyer, thanks to a double-play grounder sandwiched in-between. Rollins flied out to end the inning.
After getting Pelfrey out on a grounder, Reyes pounded Moyer’s 1st pitch out to leftfield for the Mets’ 5th run. Castillo flied out and Beltran grounded to 3rd to end the 2nd inning. Pelfrey then went clean on the Phillies in the 3rd — 3-up, 3-down.
The Mets loaded the bases on Moyer with 1 out in the 3rd inning and Castro stroked Moyer’s 1-2 pitch for a 2 run double to center to put the Mets up 7-1 and chasing Moyer. The Mets would not score again and would have only 4 other hitters reach, 3 on hits and 1 walk, against the Phillies bullpen through the remaining 5 2/3 innings. Moyer, who suffered his 2nd loss against 3 wins, gave up 7 hits with the 7 runs while walking 2, striking out 1 and being clubbed for the 3 Met homers.
Lefthander J.A. Happ, looking more and more like he’s got to be inserted into the starting rotation, got Pelfrey to ground out to shortstop and struck out Reyes looking to retire the side. Happ pitched through the sixth inning in an excellent long relief stint giving up only 2 fourth inning hits while striking out 2.
Meanwhile, the Phillies moved to creep back into the game. Werth led off with a single to center, stole 2nd base and scored on Ibanez’s single to right. Mets led 7-2.
Both clubs went clean in the fifth inning and Howard reached Pelfrey for a 1 out solo homer in the sixth. Mets led 7-3.
Pelfrey went clean on the Phillies in the seventh inning, his final inning with reliever Pedro Feliciano coming on to pitch the eighth. Pelfrey, who had a quality, yet again shaky, outing against the Phils remains unbeaten for the season gaining his 4th win.
Centerfielder Shane Victorino, who extended his career-best hitting streak to 16 games, led off by grounding a single past 3rd base on a 2-2 pitch. After Utley and Howard both grounded out, Werth, having a perfect day at the plate, took Feliciano to a full-count before driving a 2 run homer to leftfield to draw the Phillies close at 7-5.
The Mets sent in closer Francisco Rodriguez to pitch the ninth and he shut down the Phils to earn his 9th save of the season. Victorino had these words about Rodriguez and the Phillies ability to make late-inning comebacks;
“You knew they got a guy who’s a great closer,,,, But it doesn’t change our approach. We feel we can come back against anybody.”
Relievers Clay Condrey and lefthander Jack Taschner each pitched an inning of effective scoreless ball giving up only 1 hit and a walk between them.
For all of the results of Thursday’s games, click here.
The Phils return home to entertain the Atlanta Braves for a 3 game weekend series to conclude this past week’s weird scheduling.
Friday’s opener is a battle of lefthanders with ace lefthander Cole Hamels, who has been hobbled by mild elbow, shoulder and ankle injuries since the beginning of the season, tries to bring things together against the Braves. He faces Jo-Jo Reyes.
On Saturday, Joe Blanton hopes to carry the momentum of his excellent outing against the Cardinals on against the Braves. He is opposed by Javier Vazquez.
For all of Friday’s and Saturday’s games, click here and here.
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