Max Scherzer pitches Mets past Phillies
Max Scherzer tossed six solid innings to earn his second straight win as the slumping New York Mets edged the host Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 on Saturday afternoon in the middle game of a three-game series.
Pete Alonso collected the tiebreaking RBI in the sixth inning for the Mets, who are 6-14 this month. Starling Marte had two hits, including a homer, while Brandon Nimmo had two hits and an RBI. Francisco Lindor and Luis Guillorme had a pair of hits apiece.
Nick Castellanos went 3-for-3 with a homer for the Phillies, who fell to 14-7 in June. Trea Turner had an RBI single while Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh each finished with two hits.
Scherzer (7-2) gave up two runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out eight. The right-hander allowed one run over a season-high eight innings in an 11-1 win over the Houston Astros on Monday.
Brooks Raley and Adam Ottavino got two outs apiece before David Robertson recorded the final five outs -- four via inning-ending double plays in the eighth and ninth -- to earn his 11th save.
Marte's one-out homer in the first provided the Mets a rare early lead. New York has been outscored 56-22 in the opening inning this season.
The Mets doubled the lead in the third when Guillorme laced a leadoff triple and scored on Nimmo's one-out single.
Scherzer retired seven straight before Castellanos led off the fourth with a homer to center. The Phillies tied the game in the fifth when Marsh doubled on Scherzer's first pitch of the inning and scored on Turner's two-out single.
The Mets built their go-ahead rally against Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez (0-1) and Yunior Marte in the sixth. Nimmo chased Sanchez with a leadoff single before subsequent singles by Starling Marte and Lindor loaded the bases.
Nimmo scored when Alonso legged out the back end of a potential double-play grounder and Starling Marte trotted home on Tommy Pham's single.
Sanchez allowed three runs on five hits and no walks while striking out four over five-plus innings.
--Field Level Media