Sat Jul 5 22:54:57 2008

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Mets rally late to topple Phillies

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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Damion Easley went 3-for-5 and knocked in a run, while Brian Schneider's two-run, pinch-hit double in the eighth inning proved to be the difference as the New York Mets rolled past Philadelphia, 9-4, in the second of four games with the Phillies.

Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado each went 2-for-5 for the Mets, who won for the third time in their last five games. David Wright doubled, while Marlon Anderson and Endy Chavez knocked in a run apiece.

Pedro Feliciano (1-2) earned the win despite recording just one out in relief of John Maine, who allowed three runs on just one hit in 5 2/3 innings before exiting early with an apparent forearm injury.

Ryan Howard belted a three-run homer for the Phillies, who had a four-game win streak snapped. The Phillies were outhit 14-4 for the game.

J.C. Romero (4-2) allowed two runs in one-third of an inning to take the loss behind Jamie Moyer, who held the Mets to three runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 frames.

After the Phillies took a 4-3 lead with a run in the seventh, the Mets rallied against the Philadelphia bullpen.

Back-to-back one-out singles off Romero by Easley and Delgado put runners on the corners and brought Tom Gordon on in relief. But Gordon's 1-1 fastball to pinch-hitter Anderson went under catcher Chris Coste's glove and Easley slid in to score the tying run on the wild pitch. Anderson walked, and after pinch- hitter Chavez grounded out, Schneider put the Mets on top with a two-run pinch double to right center. Gordon retired Reyes on a fly ball to left, but the Mets had turned a one-run deficit into a two-run lead.

After Duaner Sanchez tossed a scoreless eighth, the Mets put the game away with three runs against Rudy Seanez in the ninth. Seanez's error on a Carlos Beltran grounder allowed one run to score, while a bases-loaded groundout by Anderson and an RBI single by Chavez upped the lead to 9-4.

Tony Armas worked a perfect ninth to finish off the win.

Reyes scored on Wright's double play to give the Mets a 1-0 lead in the first, and New York tacked on two more in the fourth. With Wright on third and Beltran at first, Moyer seemingly had Beltran picked off between first and second. But Howard's throw to second sailed into left field as Wright scored, and Easley plated Beltran with a single.

Maine retired the first 10 batters he faced before a hit batter and a walk put two runners on with two outs in the fourth. Howard then made the Phillies' first hit of the game a meaningful one, as he tied the game with a line drive blast to left.

After Ryan Madson bailed Moyer out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh, the Phillies pulled ahead in the bottom half. With runners on first and second with two outs, Jayson Werth ripped a single to left off Feliciano that brought home Eric Bruntlett. But Werth was caught trying to reach second on the throw to put an end to the rally.

Game Notes

Maine left the game with a 2-2 count to Howard after clutching his left (non- throwing) forearm just below the elbow on two straight pitches. Aaron Heilman came on in relief and only had to throw one pitch to complete the strikeout of Howard...The Mets were 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position, while the Phillies went 2-for-4...Moyer has lasted at least six innings in all 17 of his career starts against the Mets.