|
 Pinch hitter Michael Cuddyer snapped a tie with a two-run single in
a three-run sixth inning, and the Mets beat the Phillies 6-5 Tuesday
night.
"You've got to figure out ways to win," New York manager Terry
Collins said after his team's fifth consecutive victory and 17th in
23 games. "It starts with pitching."
Mets pitchers recorded a season-high 16 strikeouts. That included
nine in five innings by starter Noah Syndergaard, who earned his
first road victory of the season while improving to 8-6.
The 16 strikeouts were also the most by Phillies hitters since May
17, 2014, when they fanned 17 times against the Mets.
The Phillies were angered in the seventh inning at what they
considered a quick pitch by New York reliever Hansel Robles to pinch
hitter Darin Ruf.
Philadelphia outfielder Jeff Francoeur began screaming at Robles
from the dugout, and bench coach Larry Bowa was likewise incensed --
so much so that several Mets players and coaches started toward the
Phillies' dugout. Words were exchanged, and Bowa was ejected.
"Let the guy step in the box, that's all I ask," Francoeur said.
"That's the whole point. It's chicken (bleep)."
Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said the Mets quick-pitched
at times in Monday's 16-7 victory over Philadelphia, adding that it
was "a little fuzzy" to Ruf.
"The ump must know that the batter is ready," he said.
Robles, who retired all five hitters he faced, did not believe he
did anything wrong.
"I was surprised they were mad about it," he said. "The batter was
in the box and the umpire pointed to me."
Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud, meanwhile, said he was telling Robles
to wait before firing.
"(Ruf's) head was down when he threw it," d'Arnaud said.
Collins did not disagree.
"I saw a quick pitch, and Larry went like Larry is," he said. "He's
pretty intense. ... He coached for me. He's one of my best friends.
I just said, 'Until they make the pitch illegal, you can do it.' We
see it all the time."
Center fielder Yoenis Cespedes homered for the Mets, who maintained
a 5 1/2-game lead in the National League East over the Washington
Nationals, 8-3 winners over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday.
Shortstop Freddy Galvis and first baseman Ryan Howard hit two-run
homers for the Phillies, who dropped their seventh straight to the
Mets and their 11th in their past 12 games against New York.
Philadelphia led 4-3 entering the sixth, but first baseman Daniel
Murphy drew a leadoff walk from Jerome Williams (4-10). One out
later, second baseman Kelly Johnson singled, with Murphy advancing
to third.
Jeanmar Gomez relieved Williams and retired the first hitter he
faced, shortstop Wilmer Flores, but left fielder Michael Conforto
walked to load the bases. D'Arnaud then walked after an eight-pitch
at-bat to force in the tying run, despite being in a 1-2 hole at one
point.
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Cuddyer, batting for Syndergaard, then blooped an 0-2 fastball from
Gomez into center field, bringing home two runs and giving the Mets
a 6-4 cushion.
The Phillies cut it to 6-5 on a run-scoring groundout by catcher
Carlos Ruiz in the bottom of the sixth, and they had two men aboard
in the eighth. Jeurys Familia retired Ruiz to end the latter threat,
and he set down the side in order in the ninth to earn his 34th
save.
Syndergaard, 0-5 with a 5.05 ERA in nine previous road starts,
allowed four runs (two earned) and four hits. He walked two.
"That's news to me, that that was my first road win," he said. "I
try not to pay too much attention to that. I just like going out
there and giving quality performances, letting the offense work and
getting a victory out of it."
Williams went 5 1/3 innings and yielded five runs (four earned) and
five hits while striking out five and walking two.
One night after the Mets hit a club-record eight home runs, Cespedes
lined Williams' eighth pitch of the game into the Phillies' bullpen
in center field. The homer, Cespedes' seventh since coming to New
York in a July 31 trade with Detroit, came after right fielder
Curtis Granderson reached on an error, and gave New York a quick 2-0
lead.
The Mets added a run in the second on Syndergaard's RBI double, but
Galvis and Howard hit their two-run homers in the third, putting
Philadelphia on top 4-3. Howard's homer, his 21st of the season,
came with two outs and followed an error by Johnson on a grounder
off the bat of Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera.
NOTES: The first seven hitters in the Mets' lineup homered in
Monday's 16-7 victory over Philadelphia, something no major league
team had done before, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ...
Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin mentioned the possibility
that his team will use a six-man rotation in September in order to
limit the number of innings worked by young pitchers such as RHP
Aaron Nola. It is, however, far from a certainty. "There's a lot of
things that we've discussed," Mackanin said. ... Mackanin also said
it has been "a disappointing year" for RHP Justin De Fratus, owner
of a 5.93 ERA. "Numbers count," Mackanin said. "It doesn't mean he's
out of the picture (going forward). It just means we have a decision
to make."
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