Phillies open 10-run lead, hold on for 10-8 win over Mets
NEW YORK -- Maikel Franco hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Darin Ruf laced a three-run homer in the fourth on Saturday night as the Philadelphia Phillies raced out to a 10-run lead before hanging on for a 10-8 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field.
The Phillies (70-85) scored five runs in the first and four in the fourth on their way to snapping a two-game losing streak while potentially dropping the Mets (82-72) into a tie for the first National League wild card with the San Francisco Giants.
New York entered Saturday a game ahead of the Giants, who played the San Diego Padres on Saturday night, and 1 1/2 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals, who beat the Chicago Cubs 10-4 earlier Saturday.
The Mets nearly pulled off the biggest comeback in team history after manager Terry Collins pulled his three best players -- Jose Reyes, Asdrubal Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes -- with the Phillies ahead 10-0 after four innings.
Fueled by its bench brigade, New York scored four unearned runs in the fifth and scored twice in the sixth -- on an RBI double by rookie Gavin Cecchini and an RBI single by fellow rookie T.J. Rivera -- before Cecchini added another run-scoring double in the eighth to close the gap to 10-7.
Rivera and Brandon Nimmo, another rookie, each stepped to the plate as the tying run in the eighth, but Hector Neris induced Rivera to fly out to center and retired Nimmo on a popup to shortstop.
Jay Bruce pulled the Mets within 10-8 with a pinch-homer off Michael Mariot in the ninth. Mariot then walked Eric Campbell and Michael Conforto before retiring the potential winning runs -- Lucas Duda and Travis d'Arnaud -- on a popup and a comebacker, respectively, to post his second save of the season.
Alec Asher (2-0), whose two-run single capped the Phillies' first inning, picked up the win after allowing the four unearned runs, five hits and no walks while striking out one in five innings.
Ruf and Odubel Herrera had three hits apiece.
Left-hander Sean Gilmartin (0-1), starting in place of ace Noah Syndergaard (strep throat), recorded just two outs in the first inning and took the loss after giving up five runs, four hits and three walks while striking out none. It was the first start of the season for Gilmartin.
The Phillies sent 11 batters to the plate in chasing Gilmartin during a five-run first. Franco hit a three-run homer before Asher -- batting before he pitched -- finished off Gilmartin with a two-run single.
Herrera tripled leading off the second and scored on Joseph's groundout. With two outs in the fourth, the Phillies strung together five straight hits -- the third of which was an RBI single by Joseph and the fourth of which was a three-run homer by Ruf -- to extend their lead to 10-0.
The Mets scored four unearned runs thanks to two Phillies errors in the fifth, when Duda scored on a throwing error by Franco before three players who entered the game in the top of the inning -- Rivera, Nimmo and Kelly -- delivered an RBI single, an RBI double and a sacrifice fly, respectively.
NOTES: Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard (strep throat) threw a bullpen session Saturday. Manager Terry Collins hopes Syndergaard, who initially was in line to pitch Saturday before getting sick, can return to the rotation early next week. ... Mets IF Wilmer Flores (bruised right wrist) has not yet begun taking batting practice and may not play again this season. Flores was injured in a home plate collision on Sept. 10. ... When RHP Jeremy Hellickson gave up six runs in 4 1/3 innings Friday night, it ended a streak of 19 straight outings in which Phillies starters surrendered three earned runs or fewer. It was the longest such streak for the franchise since a 19-game run in September 1986. ... Phillies C Jorge Alfaro made his third major league start.