|
 Winning pitcher Carlos Torres, in his first at-bat of the season,
started the decisive rally with a single as the Mets scored four
times in the 13th inning to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-5
Thursday night.
"If you're going to win, you don't ride one horse," New York manager
Terry Collins said. "You play a season that's 162 games, you've got
to spread out the wealth. We've done it right now. Everybody on the
team wants to contribute, and everybody has."
First baseman Daniel Murphy, who earlier combined with Torres on a
spectacular defensive play, hit a double that knocked in Torres and
right fielder Curtis Granderson to put New York in front, and the
Mets went on to post their seventh consecutive victory, and their
eighth straight over the Phillies.
Catcher Travis d'Arnaud, center fielder Yoenis Cespedes and second
baseman Kelly Johnson homered for New York, which rallied from a 5-0
deficit to complete its first four-game sweep in Philadelphia since
2002.
The Mets maintained their 6 1/2-game lead over Washington in the
National League East. The Nationals beat the San Diego Padres 4-2.
First baseman Darin Ruf homered for the Phillies, who dropped their
fifth straight. They were outscored 40-21 by New York in the
four-game series.
"We just had a tough time keeping them off the scoreboard," Phillies
right fielder Jeff Francoeur said. "Those guys, give them credit,
they're swinging the heck out of the bats."
With the game tied 5-5, Torres led off the 13th with an infield
single off Hector Neris (2-2). It was just his fourth hit in 34
career at-bats over six seasons.
"When he got the hit, I said, 'We're going to score here,'" Collins
said.
Granderson (4-for-6) also singled, and one out later, Murphy lined
Neris' 1-1 fastball into the left field corner, scoring both
runners.
"I was fortunate to get a hit over the plate," said Murphy, who went
3-for-6 and is batting .340 over his past 23 games.
"Daniel Murphy can stinkin' hit, and when he's swinging it good like
he is right now, he's dangerous and we're dangerous," Collins said.
Murphy advanced to third when Philadelphia shortstop Freddy Galvis
threw wildly to the plate, then scored when Neris was charged with
two errors on a grounder off the bat of third baseman David Wright.
Left fielder Michael Conforto added an RBI single later in the
inning.
Torres, the fifth of six Mets pitchers, improved to 5-5 after
throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Mets starter Jonathon Niese went six innings and allowed five runs
and five hits while striking out five and walking a season-high
five. He also hit a batter.
Phillies starter Aaron Harang worked six innings and allowed five
runs and nine hits. He didn't strike out a batter, but he walked
three while surrendering three home runs.
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The Phillies scored five times in the third, on a two-run single by
Francoeur, Ruf's two-run homer and an infield out, but d'Arnaud
answered with a two-run homer in the fourth.
The Mets then knotted it 5-5 in the fifth. Granderson led off with a
single, and Cespedes launched Harang's changeup into the Phillies'
bullpen in center field. Two outs later, Johnson lofted another
changeup into the seats in right.
The game remained tied until the 13th, in part due to defensive
plays like the one Torres and Murphy made in the 10th. With two
outs, Francoeur hit a hard grounder back to the mound that Torres
deflected toward first base with his foot.
Murphy scrambled for the ball and flipped it blindly in the
direction of Torres, who raced from the mound and narrowly beat
Francoeur to the bag.
"I always throw my foot at balls," Torres said. "I didn't mean to
kick it. It just happened to hit my foot. I'm happy (Murphy) stayed
at home."
Torres wasn't sure he was going to be able to get to the base.
Neither was Murphy.
"I flipped it anyway," Murphy said.
NOTES: The Mets now have 43 homers in 24 games in August, a club
record for homers in a month. ... Phillies LHP Elvis Araujo departed
the game with a strained left groin after facing his second batter
in the 11th inning. ... Philadelphia interim manager Pete Mackanin
said he plans to meet with his struggling relief corps, "to
challenge them to believe that they're the same bullpen that ...
helped us win all those games (coming out of the All-Star break)."
... Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, continuing his tour of all 30
major league cities, said his office is gathering information about
extending the protective netting behind home plate, something the
Phillies are also reportedly considering. "I'm all for it," Mackanin
said. "I think it's smart. Every time a ball's hit hard into the
stands, I cringe, and I'm surprised more people have not been hurt
over the years." ... The Mets recorded their 70th victory of the
season Wednesday night, in their 126th game. It was the earliest
they hit that win level since 2007, when they earned their 70th
victory in their 123rd game.
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