Santana Slammed

The sellout crowd at Citizens Bank Park rose to its feet with 47-year-old Jamie Moyer facing one of the game's best pitchers, Mets ace Johan Santana, in the most memorable at-bat of this young 2010 Phillies season.

Along with Shane Victorino in the on-deck circle, the fans were trying to will an improbable walk.

"I was saying to myself, 'Get on Jamie, some way, somehow,' " Victorino said Sunday night after the Phillies battered the New York Mets, 11-5.

Moyer worked a 3-2 count with the bases loaded and two outs. He fouled off a 91-m.p.h. Santana fastball to stay alive. And on the seventh pitch when Santana missed high and inside, Moyer flicked the bat and jogged toward first.

That's when the fourth inning reached full meltdown mode for the Mets, allowing the Phillies to reclaim first place in the National League East.

"That was very big," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said of Moyer's walk.

It was shades of the 2008 National League division series, when another Phillies pitcher, Brett Myers, drew an unforgettable walk against Milwaukee ace CC Sabathia - especially when Victorino followed Moyer's walk with a grand slam Sunday night, just like he did in 2008.

Santana was clearly rattled. Placido Polanco singled and Chase Utley homered to right field to make it 10-5 Phillies. Santana stood on the mound in disbelief, having allowed a career-high 10 earned runs and four home runs.

"I guess it shows that we're all human," Moyer said.

The Phillies sent 13 batters to the plate in the fourth and scored nine runs - all with two outs - on eight hits. All the talk about lack of focus a few days ago dissipated.

"When you're hitting the ball and scoring runs, you play better defense," Manuel said. "You catch the ball. You have more zip in your step. You have bigger smiles. The pitcher is going to have more confidence because he knows you're going to score runs."

And by winning two of three in convincing fashion, the Phillies scored one serious blow to the confidence of the Mets, who came into the series as a surprise success at the top of the standings and on a seven-game winning streak.

With a struggling Moyer opposing Santana, the matchup favored the Mets - even more so when New York led 3-0 five batters into the game after a David Wright home run. Moyer escaped more harm until the fourth inning, when resident Phillies killer Rod Barajas hit another home run off his former club to push the Mets ahead, 5-2.

Moyer allowed five runs on six hits in six innings, raising his ERA to 5.70. Those are numbers the Phillies cannot sustain, but after allowing the home run to Barajas, Moyer retired the final eight batters he faced.

The Phillies could live with that performance Sunday, thanks to the shocking fourth-inning offensive outburst keyed by Moyer's walk.

Once the count reached 2-0 to Moyer, a lifetime .131 hitter, the fans sensed Santana's night coming undone. The next five pitches would haunt Santana and the Mets for the rest of the night.

"In a situation like that, a pitcher walking like that," Victorino said, "it leads to some big things."

Last night's game ended too late for this edition. For coverage, go to http://go.philly.com/philliesEndText