Mets beat Phillies as De Fratus gives up key homer

FLUSHING, N.Y. – Lately, if the Mets are reeling, the Phillies are the fix.

Hamstrung by injury and listing like a leaky barge, the Mets jumped on Phillies starter Severino Gonzalez and the middle of the Phillies bullpen to open the teams' third series of the season with a 6-3 win.

It was hardly hard to predict.

The Phillies had lost five of their previous six games against the Mets, including a sweep at Citi Field in the first road series of the season. The Phillies tied their franchise-worst mark in 2014 with 13 losses to the Mets. That dubious mark is in jeopardy. They already have lost six of their 19 scheduled meetings with the Mets this season.

These Mets were not the same team the Phillies had seen before. After they took two of three in Philadelphia from May 8-10, the Mets entered Memorial day with 10 losses in their last 14 games, a stretch that cost them first place in the NL East. Meanwhile, the Phillies played much better baseball.

The Phillies also caught the Mets in the midst of a strikeout epidemic. They fanned 36 times as the Pirates swept them in a three-game series. That included 32 strikeouts at the hands of Pirates starters.
The epidemic continued, but it didn't matter much. Gonzalez struck out eight in his 4 1/3 innings of work, though he left with the game tied at 3.

The bullpen did not hold that lead. Elvis Araujo coaxed a double play to end a threat in the fifth, but he allowed a lead off single in the sixth before Justin De Fratus entered, walked Michael Cuddyer and surrendered a three-run home run to Wilton Flores.

"The arm wasn't catching up. It was tough to find the strike zone," De Fratus explained. "It was a freak day."

Perhaps … but De Fratus now has allowed six runs in his last six appearances, which include just 4 2/3 innings. He has allowed at least one run in five of those outings.

Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg pointed to De Fratus' inability to throw first-pitch sliders for strikes, which results in pitching behind in the count.

Even so, said De Fratus, "You try to remind yourself, you're one pitch away."

Or, one hit away, either way. It nearly was a big Ryan Howard hit.

In the fifth inning Howard hit a one-out, bases-loaded drive off Bartolo Colon to centerfield, where the wind knocked it down. The Phillies scored a run to tie it at 3-3, but it might have been so much more if Howard been able to find the right wind current; that's how Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson teased Howard afterward.

"I thought I had it. We scored a run, but four would have been nice," Howard said. "It's knowing the field. Knowing where the jet stream is."

The Phillies scratched out their runs by sheer dint of will, with a pinch of comedy thrown in.
With two out in the third inning, Ben Revere fell behind, 0-2, then was distracted by a pair or pigeons that strutted near the cut-out in front of home plate. Revere shooed the pigeons. They barely moved; in fact, a third bird swooped in and joined them. Revere retreated to the batter's box and, eventually, the birds ambled over to the first base.

Revere regrouped and smashed a ground ball to the hole between shortstop and third base. Wilmer Flores dived and snared the ball but Revere beat the throw … after Revere ran through the three birds, who scattered and flew into the outfield.

Revere moved to third on Freddy Galvis' double, and both scored on Chase Utley's single to make it 2-1.
Homers from Lucas Duda in the third and Michael Cuddyer in the fourth gave the Mets the lead again, but Gonzalez worked a leadoff walk to start the fifth. He moved to second on Galvis' perfect bunt to third base. Utley's single loaded the bases for Howard, who drove one to the centerfield warning track.
A home run would have given him a 14th career grand slam.

Considering his recent production, a homer was not out of the question. Howard was 1-for-3 on Monday, and in his previous 31 games he was hitting .301 with 10 home runs and 21 RBI, his best stretch since 2011. Gonzalez, who remained 2-1, was glad Howard tied it but he could have used the extra help.

He had won his previous two starts but e was fortunate to last into the fifth, luckier still to surrender only three runs. Of course, Gonzalez is an emergency replacement in a Phillies rotation tattered by injury. The 22-year-old right-hander was not at spring training, was not on the 40-man roster and had pitched only three Triple-A games before being called up in April.

After an encouraging run in which the Phillies won seven of eight games, they now have lost four of five.
Coming to Queens might not help matters.

Phillers

Phillies RHP Jerome Williams (3-4, 5.44) starts Tuesday against RHP Jacob deGrom (5-4, 2.75). Since the start of 2014, deGrom's 1.50 ERA at home is the best in baseball. … Phillies RHP Sean O'Sullivan (1-3-, 3.54) starts Wednesday against RHP Noah Syndergaard (1-2, 3.63). … Minor league OF Kelly Dugan, 24, who suffered a stress fracture in his right foot early in spring training, will begin participating in extended spring training games Wednesday. … Mets 1B Duda (hamstring) and CF Juan Legares (pectoral strain) both were questionable for yesterday's game, but both played. … Mets 3B David Wright remains sidelined long-term with back problems.