Conforto's blast lifts Mets over Phillies
NEW YORK -- Michael Conforto's three-run homer capped a six-run fifth inning Friday night by the New York Mets, who retained at least a share of the National League wild-card lead by using seven pitchers to patch together a vital 10-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field.
The Mets (82-72) began the day tied with the San Francisco Giants for the top wild card in the NL. The Giants played the San Diego Padres later Friday. New York is 1 1/2 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals, who fell to the Chicago Cubs 5-0 on Friday afternoon.
The Phillies (69-85) have lost two straight for the first time since a three-game skid from Sept. 9-11.
The Mets won despite getting only two innings out of starter Gabriel Ynoa, who was pitching in place of injured Steven Matz. The Phillies scored all their runs in the first six innings against Ynoa, Logan Verrett and Josh Smoker before Erik Goeddel (1 1/3 innings), Josh Edgin (one batter) and Hansel Robles (2 2/3 innings) blanked Philadelphia the rest of the way.
Smoker (3-0) was awarded the win while Robles notched his first save.
The victory came one night after the Mets used 10 pitchers in a 9-8, 11-inning win and one night before Sean Gilmartin makes his first start of the season in place of ace Noah Syndergaard, who was scratched Friday because of a sore throat.
Travis d'Arnaud had an RBI double while Curtis Granderson and Kelly Johnson each had run-scoring singles prior to Conforto's blast. Yoenis Cespedes scored on a throwing error in the seventh, when pinch-hitters Eric Campbell (single) and T.J. Rivera (sacrifice fly) each had run-scoring hits.
Cesar Hernandez and Roman Quinn had RBI singles while Maikel Franco (solo) and Darin Ruf (two-run shot) homered for Philadelphia.
Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (12-10) took the loss after giving up six runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out one over 4 1/3 innings.
The Phillies took a 2-0 lead in the second on RBI singles by Hernandez and Quinn. D'Arnaud's double in the bottom of the inning cut the Mets' deficit in half.
Franco led off the third by homering off Verrett -- the Mets' second pitcher. But the Phillies left the bases loaded in the fourth.
The Mets busted out for six runs in the fifth against Hellickson and Frank Herrmann. Granderson and Johnson each had RBI singles to tie the game, and Cespedes scored the go-ahead run when right fielder Quinn overran Johnson's hit.
Conforto greeted Herrmann with a three-run homer to left -- his first since Aug. 7 and second since June 16 -- to put the Mets up 7-3.
NOTES: RHP Bartolo Colon, who turned 43 in May, is the only healthy member of the Mets' opening day rotation. The four other current starters -- Gilmartin, RHP Robert Gsellman, RHP Seth Lugo, RHP Gabriel Ynoa -- made 66 starts at Triple-A Las Vegas this season. ... Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said struggling RHP Jeanmar Gomez (16.20 ERA in September) remains his closer but that he'll give Gomez a mental health break by using someone else in the role the next time a save opportunity arises. ... Phillies RHP Jeremy Hellickson tied a career-high by making his 31st start. He also made 31 starts for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2012 and 2013.