Phillies Notes: Phillies unravel in the seventh and lose to Mets

NEW YORK - David Buchanan was upset when he was removed from last Saturday's game after 90 pitches in five innings. His comments sparked a meeting with manager Ryne Sandberg. The hook Friday, in a 4-1 Phillies loss to the Mets, arrived at 64 pitches in six sharp innings.

The rookie righthander might have seethed again, since Domonic Brown, pinch-hitting for the pitcher, grounded into an inning-ending double play just before New York ripped open the game with three unearned runs on zero hits.

Instead, he acted diplomatic.

"No, no, no," Buchanan said. "A National League game, right there, you have a chance to knock him out and tie it up or take the lead. That was completely understandable."

This night imploded right after Buchanan's removal. Grady Sizemore dropped a routine fly ball with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. (Two Jake Diekman walks and a hit batter did that.) Two Mets runs scored.

"Routine play," Sizemore said. "I had it the whole way, saw it fine, was under it. Just missed it."

Eric Campbell, a career minor-league player nicknamed "Soup," swiped home on a double steal for the third run. And those three minutes of hell were brought to you by the 2014 Phillies.

Buchanan, at least, lowered his ERA to 4.03. He has made 15 major-league starts, most of which have reinforced his status as a possible back-of-the-rotation option for next season and beyond.

"He did a nice job," Sandberg said. "Competed well. He was quality with his pitches. But I think we need to take a shot for a run in the seventh inning. We're running out of time."

The Phillies will promote "five or six" players for September, Sandberg said. Decisions were reached on the players, but Sandberg declined to name them. Not included are rehabbing players John Mayberry Jr. and Mike Adams.

Maikel Franco, a definite candidate for promotion, was removed from Thursday's game at triple-A Lehigh Valley after five innings. The decision, according to a Phillies official, was the manager's. Franco started Friday.

The Phillies acquired righthander Victor Arano from the Los Angeles Dodgers as the second player for Roberto Hernandez. Arano, ranked as the Dodgers' 29th-best prospect by Baseball America, had a 4.08 ERA in 22 games (15 starts) for single-A Great Lakes.

The 19-year-old Mexican joins infielder Jesmuel Valentin, the 22d-best Dodgers prospect, in the haul for Hernandez. On paper, it is a solid package in exchange for a player the Phillies had no intention of re-signing.