Phillies 3, Mets 1
PHILADELPHIA -- Cole Hamels pitched seven strong innings to out-duel Matt Harvey, as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 3-1 on Friday night.
Ryan Howard hit a go-ahead solo homer and drove in two runs for the Phillies, who handed Harvey his first loss of the season.
Shortstop Freddy Galvis went 3-for-3 with a walk and two steals for Philadelphia, which won for just the third time in 10 games.
Hamels (2-3) gave up four hits and one run, while striking out eight, walking two and hitting a batter. He also threw two wild pitches.
While he is just 9-14 against the Mets in his career, he has gone at least seven innings and surrendered no more than one earned run in his last five starts against New York. He is just 2-0 in that span, as run support has been an ongoing issue.
Since the beginning of the 2014 season he has received an average of just 3.09 runs of support per nine innings pitched, the fourth-lowest norm for any qualified major league starter. He is 9-0 in that span when the Phillies score at least three while he is in the game.
Ken Giles pitched a perfect eighth inning for Philadelphia. Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for his sixth save.
Harvey (5-1) was seeking to become the fourth Met to win his first six starts of a season, and the first since Frank Viola in 1990. Instead he allowed three runs and six hits over six innings. He struck out a season-low four and walked one.
The Phillies scored in the first inning when Galvis singled, stole second and came home on Howard's two-out single.
The Mets drew even in the fourth when Hamels' wild pitch allowed first baseman Michael Cuddyer to score from third. But Howard hit Harvey's first pitch in the bottom of the inning, a 95 mph fastball, into the seats in center field for his sixth homer of the season.
NOTES: The Mets said 3B David Wright, on the disabled list since April 15 with a right hamstring injury, has developed lower back pain. An MRI revealed no structural damage, and he will resume baseball activities when the pain subsides. ... Philadelphia 2B Chase Utley, batting .103 entering the game, returned to the lineup after being rested by manager Ryne Sandberg the two previous games. Sandberg called it a "combination of a mental break and also maybe (a chance to) change his luck a little bit. ... Hopefully it will do him a lot of good." ... The Mets placed RHP Dillon Gee on the disabled list with a mild groin strain. RHP Bartolo Colon will start in Gee's place on Sunday against the Phillies. General manager Sandy Alderson told reporters that RHP Noah Syndergaard will be called up from Triple-A Las Vegas and make his major league debut when he starts Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field.