Mets 3, Phillies 2
PHILADELPHIA -- Center fielder Juan Lagares hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning as the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 on Saturday night.
Lagares' homer, his first of the season, ended an 0-for-16 slump and made a winner out of Jon Niese (3-2).
Niese, who gave up a pair of unearned runs in the sixth to fall behind 2-1, led off the seventh by singling off Aaron Harang (3-3). One out later, Lagares hit Harang's 1-0 fastball into the seats in left.
The Phillies loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but catcher Carlos Ruiz grounded into an inning-ending double play against Buddy Carlyle, the third Mets reliever to pitch in the inning.
Jeurys Familia then pitched a scoreless ninth for his 12th save in as many opportunities. He leads the National League in that category.
Niese went seven innings and allowed two unearned runs and five hits while striking out six and walking one. He improved to 5-0 over his last seven starts against the Phillies; he is 10-6 against them overall.
Harang, pitching on his 37th birthday, went seven innings and allowed three runs (two earned) and eight hits. He struck out two and walked one.
Neither team scored until the fifth inning, when Philadelphia second baseman Cesar Hernandez booted a two-out grounder by first baseman Lucas Duda, allowing shortstop Ruben Tejada to score from third.
Tejada had doubled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on Niese's sacrifice. Right fielder Curtis Granderson had walked and center fielder Juan Lagares had popped to short, bringing Duda to the plate.
The Phillies took a 2-1 lead in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by right fielder Jeff Francoeur and an RBI double by Ruiz. Both runs were unearned because of a throwing error by Mets second baseman Dilson Herrera to begin the inning, after a bouncer off the bat of left fielder Ben Revere.
NOTES: Neither 1B Ryan Howard nor 2B Chase Utley started for the Phillies, because they entered the game a combined 7-for-58 (.121) with 16 strikeouts against Mets LHP Jonathon Niese. It was the third time in four games that Utley, hitting .099 and in an 0-for-19 tailspin, did not start. "One of the first benchmarks starting the season is 100 at-bats," manager Ryne Sandberg said. "He has to just get good at-bats and sting the ball and hopefully the hits will start coming. Look at it a month from now, to see where he could be." ... The Mets' pitching staff entered the game with 54 walks, fewest in the majors and fewest in team history after 29 games.