Cabrera's walk-off blast in 11th lifts Mets 9-8
NEW YORK -- Asdrubal Cabrera's three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning Thursday night capped a wild back-and-forth game and lifted the New York Mets to a dramatic 9-8 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field.
The win stopped a three-game losing streak for the Mets (81-72) and ensured they'd remain at least tied for the top National League wild-card standings. New York entered Thursday in a three-way tie for the two wild cards with the San Francisco Giants, who played the San Diego Padres later Thursday, and the idle St. Louis Cardinals.
The Phillies (69-84) had won four of their previous five.
Philadelphia's A.J. Ellis hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the 11th before Maikel Franco drew a bases-loaded walk. With one out in the bottom half, Michael Conforto drew a pinch-hit walk against Edubray Ramos (1-3) and Jose Reyes singled to bring up Cabrera, who hit his fourth career walkoff homer to set off a wild celebration.
Jim Henderson (2-2) recorded the final out of the 11th.
The game-winning hit by Cabrera capped a wild final few innings.
The Mets took a 4-3 lead on an RBI single by Yoenis Cespedes in the seventh before the Phillies went ahead 6-4 on a three-run homer in the eighth by Franco.
Jose Reyes hit a two-run homer with one out in the ninth to tie the score for the Mets and send the game to extra innings.
New York came within inches of winning in the 10th, but a potential home run down the right field line by pinch-hitter Lucas Duda drifted just foul.
Roman Quinn had an RBI groundout in the fourth for the Phillies while Ryan Howard and Cameron Rupp hit back-to-back homers in the fifth. Cesar Hernandez and Franco had two hits apiece.
Curtis Granderson hit a two-run homer in the second for the Mets while Cespedes delivered a game-tying RBI single in the fifth. Cespedes and Cabrera had three hits apiece while Reyes finished with two.
Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out eight over five innings. Mets right-hander Seth Lugo allowed three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four over five innings.
The Mets took a 2-0 lead in the second, when T.J. Rivera led off with a single before Granderson homered off the right field foul pole.
The Phillies cut the gap in half in the fourth, when Hernandez hit a leadoff triple and scored on Quinn's grounder to second, before taking the lead when Howard and Rupp opened the fifth with homers on consecutive pitches.
The Mets tied the score in the fifth, when Ty Kelly drew a one-out walk as a pinch-hitter for Lugo. Kelly went to second on a two-out infield single by Cabrera, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Cespedes' single to right.
NOTES: Mets LHP Steven Matz (left shoulder) was scratched from his scheduled start Friday and is unlikely to pitch again this season. Matz, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 23, threw a bullpen session Wednesday but reported soreness the following day. RHP Gabriel Ynoa starts Friday's contest. It is the second time this homestand that a Mets pitcher has been scratched the day before he was supposed to return. RHP Jacob deGrom, who last pitched Sept. 1, was expected to pitch Sunday before his elbow flared up again. He underwent season-ending surgery to reposition the ulnar nerve Wednesday. ... Phillies OF Tyler Goeddel (concussion) did not travel to New York after being hit in the head by a pitch Wednesday night. ... Phillies 1B Ryan Howard returned to the lineup after missing four straight games with left knee soreness.