Mets vs. Phillies: Live Blog
Phillies win, 6-5
With the win, the Phillies improve to 62-49 and are now 1 1/5 games behind the Braves. Roy Halladay struggled in the first inning, was masterful for the next five, and then lost it in the seventh. But the 6-2 lead he was given in the second inning was enough of a cushion. Halladay gave up nine hits, a walk and five runs and struck out 10 in seven innings to get the win. He upped his record to 14-8. R.A. Dickey started off well, pitching a quick first inning, but gave up a solo homer to Jayson Werth in the second and fell apart in a five-run second. He was knocked out of the game after three innings (eight hits, four earned runs and a walk). The big blow in the second inning was Raul Ibanez's three-run homer. Werth went 3-for-4 with two runs and Jimmy Rollins was 2-for-4 with a run. For the Mets, Angel Pagan was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Jose Reyes was 2-for-4 with two runs and and Josh Thole went 3-for-4. With the loss, the Mets again fall below .500 (55-56) and are now nine games out of first place in the division and eight games out of the Wild Card.
The Mets will host the Rockies at 7:10 p.m. on Tuesday.
Top of the 9th
[Brad Lidge in to close for the Phillies.]
Thole sigled to center and got to second on Tejada's squibber to first (hit-&-run was on), but Carter grounded to first and Reyes flew out to right-center to end the game. 6-5, Phillies
Bottom of the 8th
Carlos Ruiz pinch-hit for Schneider but struck out looking on a 95 mph fastball. Valdez singled up the middle. Greg Dobbs hit a hard grounder to first that Davis fielded and threw to second going for a 3-6-3 double play. The throw back to first beat the Dobbs, but pulled Davis off the bag (his foot was close and he argued the call). No matter, as Dobbs was immediately thrown out trying to swipe second.
Top of the 8th
[Ryan Madson in to pitch the eighth.]
Madson put the Mets down quickly. Wright flew out to left, Davis popped up to left and Martinez struck out.
Bottom of the 7th
[Pedro Feliciano in to pitch. Changes in the outfield: Beltran is out, replaced by Pagan in center and and Carter takes over in left.]
Ibanez struck out swinging. Werth singled up the middle (just beyond Reyes' dive). Ben Francisco pinch-hit for Brown, prompting Jerry Manuel to go to the bullpen. Manny Acosta replaced Feliciano with one out and got Francisco to ground into a double play.
Top of the 7th
The Mets chip away. Martinez sigled to right and Thole doubled, setting up runners at second and third with nobody out. Tejada hit a chopper to short that drove in Martinez and moved Thole to third. Chris Carter, pinch-hitting for Takahashi, drilled a double to center over Werth's head. Reyes walked, but Pagan flew out to center and Beltran struck out. The Mets pulled to within a run and raised Halladay's pitch count to 111 (76 strikes). 6-5, Phillies
Bottom of the 6th
After Valdez hit a slow roller to short (Reyes made a running scoop and strong throw to first) and Halladay popped up to short, Rollins got an infield single. He grounded to third and Wright fielded it, but it pulled him into foul territory and he bobbled, but still managed to get off a strong throw to first that almost got Rollins. It was an almost Web Gem. Polanco followed with a single to left, but Gload flew out to right-center.
Top of the 6th
The Mets get one back. Reyes led off with a lined double into the rightfield corner (his third hard hit ball in three at-bats) and Pagan lined a single into right-centerfield and got to third on Brown's bobble. Beltran and Wright struck out and Davis grounded to second. 6-3, Phillies
Bottom of the 5th
[Hisanori Takahashi in to pitch for the Mets.]
Takahashi had a 1-2-3 inning. Werth lined out to left and Martinez made a diving catch, ranging to his left. Brown struck out looking and Schneider grounded to first.
Top of the 5th
Thole singled to right, but Tejada grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Luis Castillo, pinch-hitting for Valdes, struck out swinging on a changeup outside.
Bottom of the 4th
[Dickey was pulled and the lefty Valdes starts the fourth. This outing (8 hits, 4 earned runs) jacked Dickey's ERA up to 2.65.]
Nice inning for Valdes. Polanco flew out to left, Gload struck out and Ibanez popped up to third.
Top of the 4th
Another quick inning for Halladay. Wright and Davis struck out (Halladay's fourth straigh K) and Fernando Martinez grounded to second.
Bottom of the 3rd
The Phillies take the lead. After Halladay lined out to right, Jimmy Rollins doubled to left and Polanco reached first on a grounder to short (Reyes booted it). Gload then hit a sharp single to left and Rollins beat the tag at home. With two on, Ibanez crushed a homer to deep center. Werth then blooped one to center that fell in (Beltran missed on a dive) and hustled into second. After Brown lined out to third, Schneider lined an opposite-field single to left to drive in Werth. Valdez then poked a single between second and first. Halladay hit a slow roller up the third base line that Dickey fielded, but the throw to first bounced and Davis couldn't make the scoop. With the bases loaded, Rollins flew out to right. (Raul Valdes began to warm in the bullpen for the Mets after Halladay reached base). The Phillies sent 10 batters up in the inning. They scored five runs on seven hits and an error. Dickey is up to 60 pitches (36 strikes). 6-2, Phillies
Top of the 3rd
The Mets went down quickly. Reyes hit a hard grounder toward the line, but Gload made a diving stop at first. Pagan and Beltran then struck out.
Bottom of the 2nd
Jayson Werth homered to centerfield to put the Phillies on the board. It appeared to be a regular fly ball to center but it kept carrying. Carlos Beltran tried to make a play on it at the wall but didn't get up high enough. Raul Ibanez had made the first out, groundout to second (Tejada made a nice backhand stop, ranging far to his right and made a strong off-balance throw from the outfield grass). After the homer, Domonic Brown lined out hard to third. With two outs, Brian Schneider walked, but Wilson Valdez grounded to first. 2-1, Mets
Top of the 2nd
Halladay rebounded with an easy second inning. Josh Thole flew out to right. Ruben Tejada tried to bunt toward third for a single, but it was popped up and Halladay made a lunging catch on the run to his right. Dickey struck out to end the frame.
Bottom of the 1st
R.A. Dickey pitched a quick, 12-pitch inning. He retired Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco and Ross Gload on groundouts to the right.
Top of the 1st
The struck first with a quick salvo. Jose Reyes led off with a hustle double (line drive to right) and raced home on Angel Pagan's bloop single over second. He then stole second and third and scored on Ike Davis' infield single (a grounder up the middle that knocked off Roy Halladay's glove and died behind the mound). 2-0, Mets
