Phillies snap out of their funk against the Mets

NEW YORK - Pete Mackanin was looking for something, anything really, to help change his team's luck against its NL East rival, the New York Mets.

So he drew up last night's lineup card in his usual calligraphic way, but wrote every player's name in green, "just to change something."

"We gotta look for any way we can to beat these guys," Mackanin said before the game, his team a loser in 10 straight and 13 of 14 on the year against the Mets entering the night. The 10 straight losses to the Mets tied a franchise record.

Hey . . . whatever works.

The Phillies scored their most runs of the season in a 14-8 win against the East-leading Mets, the most combined runs in Citi Field history. The 14 runs were the most the Phillies have scored in a game since Opening Day 2014 and the most the Mets have allowed all season.

It wasn't only the color of the marker that Mackanin did right, either.

In giving Ryan Howard the night off against Mets lefthander Jonathon Niese, Darin Ruf got the start at first base and knocked in a career-high six runs, including a towering three-run home run to leftfield in the third inning to extend the Phillies' lead to 5-0. Ruf was 3-for-5 on the night, with two singles to go with the homer. His six RBI were the most by a Phillie since Delmon Young had six in June 2013.

Ruf also homered off Niese last Thursday. His role of platooning at first base with Howard, starting against lefthanders, is starting to become more defined once again.

"For me, personally, I have thought that was my role for the last two years," Ruf said. "I've just really focused on taking advantage when I'm in there against the lefties and trying to play the best I can. I've been lucky to play well when I have been in there against lefties, put good swings on balls and help the offense."

Said Mackanin: "We're going to get a couple lefthanders in Boston, I believe. So look for more of that from him."

Over his last three starts, Niese has been done in by big innings. Last Thursday, Niese spotted the Phillies a 5-0 lead in the first inning before the visiting Mets rallied against Aaron Harang and went on to win in extra innings.

The same almost happened last night. The Mets scored four runs in the fifth inning. Yoenis Cespedes unloaded on a 1-2 fastball from Harang. Catcher Carlos Ruiz wanted the ball eye-level, but Harang missed his spot and Cespedes cut the deficit to 6-4. Harang was removed one out shy of qualifying for his first win since July.

In Harang's last 13 starts, a stretch that dates back to May 30, he has allowed fewer than four runs only twice. His ERA over that period is 7.71.

The Phillies put the game out of reach in the sixth inning. They sent 12 batters to the plate in an eight-run outburst, their largest in a single inning on the year. Six of the runs were unearned, as the Mets recorded two errors.

"We had some good at-bats early in the inning," Ruf said. "When you give a team extra outs, you need to make sure you take advantage. And that's what we did."

Ruf and Darnell Sweeney, who led off and played centerfield, both provided two-RBI hits in the inning, helping extend the Phillies' lead to 14-4. Sweeney, acquired from the Dodgers in the Chase Utley trade, drove in a career-high three runs, going 2-for-5, with his first career double.

Mackanin said Sweeney is likely to play again tonight night in the outfield.

"I'm kind of anxious to continue looking at him, because I like the way he swings the bat," Mackanin said.

The Mets added one run in each of the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings against the Phillies' bullpen. Even with the additions of relievers Dalier Hinojosa and Colton Murray, thanks to September's expanded rosters, Mackanin decided to go with bullpen regulars Jeanmar Gomez, Luis Garcia and Jerome Williams - who have all logged plenty of innings - over the final four innings.

"I just wanted to win that game," Mackanin said. "I wanted to win the game to break the spell if I could, and I went with who had been our best guys. I didn't want to mess around."

Every Phillies starter, not counting the pitcher's spot, reached base more than once, in one way or another. Of that group, only leftfielder Aaron Altherr failed to record a hit. But he reached base three times, on an error, a fielder's choice and a walk.

Tonight, the Phillies will look to win their first series against the Mets since mid-May last year.

"Hopefully, we'll get them tomorrow and feel good about ourselves," Mackanin said. "It was a great win, let's put it that way, to finally beat the Mets."

As for the green ink?

"As long as we win, I'll keep using green ink," Mackanin said.