Flushing, NY – The New York Mets, aided by a five-run third 3 win over a Philadelphia Phillies club that has lost eight games in seven days since clinching the NL East.
The Phillies dropped both games Saturday, losing 2-1 in the opener behind R.A. Dickey's strong start. They own the longest losing streak in major league history by a team that had already won at least 98 games.
Josh Thole knocked in two runs and Dillon Gee (13-6) earned the win with six quality innings for New York, which has won three straight.
"It's nice to win a split doubleheader. It's one of the hardest things to do in baseball," Thole said.
Jimmy Rollins went 3-for-5 with an RBI for the Phillies, who have scored more than three runs just once on their recent skid. They had not dropped eight straight since the 2000 season.
"Our team is out of sync and out of focus," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "You lose your timing, you lose your rhythm."
The Phillies wasted a bases-loaded, no-out opportunity in the first inning, but jumped in front on RBI singles by Wilson Valdez and Rollins in the second and a run-scoring double by Ross Gload an inning later.
Joe Blanton, making his first start since May 14, was pulled after throwing just 24 pitches. David Herndon (1-4) entered in the third and promptly gave up four runs, the first two coming when Hunter Pence dropped Willie Harris' two- out fly ball on the right-field warning track.
Herndon exited after walking David Wright, and Kyle Kendrick was greeted by a Nick Evans RBI double and Thole's two-run single.
Ruben Tejada knocked in Jason Pridie in the fourth for a 6-3 cushion, and the Mets held on from there. Manny Acosta hurled a scoreless ninth to earn his second save of the day and fourth of the season.
Game Notes
The Mets will go for the three-game sweep on Sunday with Mike Pelfrey squaring off against NL Cy Young Award candidate Roy Halladay...Gee was charged with three runs -- two earned -- on nine hits in his 12th straight quality outing...The Phillies recorded 10 hits to New York's six...Saturday marked Philadelphia's third doubleheader in 10 days...The 1904 New York Giants lost six games in a row when they had 104 wins.
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