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Mets blast Morgan as Phillies fall

NEW YORK - The big, red apple rose in center field for the third time on Friday night as Adam Morgan kicked the pitching mound with disgust. The lefthander had yielded another home run - this time a fifth-inning grand slam by Wilmer Flores - and he was once again hurt by the long ball in a 9-4 loss to the Mets at Citi Field.

NEW YORK - The big, red apple rose in center field for the third time on Friday night as Adam Morgan kicked the pitching mound with disgust. The lefthander had yielded another home run - this time a fifth-inning grand slam by Wilmer Flores - and he was once again hurt by the long ball in a 9-4 loss to the Mets at Citi Field.

Morgan has allowed eight home runs in his last 22 innings. He is averaging 2.24 home runs per nine innings, which is the worst rate among all major-league pitchers with at least 15 starts. Just 10 pitchers since 1913 have finished a season with a worse mark.

"It will happen," Morgan said. "I'm definitely not giving up on myself or this team. I'm learning and I see improvements. Sure, the home runs and the numbers will tell you different. But I see improvements."

Morgan allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings. He struck out eight batters to tie his career high and walked two. But he has allowed nine earned runs in his last 14 innings since returning from triple A. Friday's clunker extinguished the optimism Morgan created in his last start, when he allowed one run in six innings.

"It all boils down to consistency and being able to repeat and do it over and over again," manager Pete Mackanin said. "Once in a while isn't getting it done. He has to be more consistent."

It would have been hard for Morgan to have a worse start Friday as he yielded homers to the first two batters. Jose Reyes homered to left-center, and Asdrubal Cabrera sent the next pitch to right-center.

"Command issues, missing location, it's as simple as that," Mackanin said. "Too many good pitches out over the plate to hit."

As Morgan struggled, Mets starter Bartolo Colon left the Phillies mystified. The pitcher owns the Phillies, Mackanin said. Colon carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning before Odubel Herrera lashed a double into right-center field. He allowed four runs on six hits in seven-plus innings. He struck out six and walked two. The 43-year-old left the mound in the eighth inning to a standing ovation. The Phillies tagged him for three runs in the eighth, but the game was already out of reach.

Cesar Hernandez drove in two runs with a single in the eighth. Aaron Altherr added an RBI single. Herrera was the only Phillies player who had more than one hit. The team's lone run before the eighth inning was driven in by Morgan. It was that kind of night.

Morgan appeared to settle in after that horrid beginning. He retired 12 of the next 14 batters he faced. And then trouble roared back.

Colon doubled to start the fifth. Reyes followed with a double, moving Colon to third. Morgan had runners on second and third with no outs. Damage was looming, but Morgan was able to retire the next two batters. Neil Walker then hit a high fly ball down the first-base line, but Ryan Howard was unable to track it down before it fell into foul territory. Walker stayed alive to work a nine-pitch walk.

Then Flores crushed a first-pitch slider for a grand slam to summon the apple and finish Morgan's night.

mbreen@phillynews.com

@matt_breen