Philadelphia, PA – Lucas Duda and Kirk Nieuwenhuis both drove in two runs to help the New York Mets rally past the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-4, in the middle test of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park.
David Wright and Daniel Murphy also knocked in a run for New York, which has won four in a row on the heels of a four-game losing streak.
"We got down early and they just stayed with it. (They) didn't try to do too much and just tried to put the ball in play and make things happen," Mets manager Terry Collins said.
Hunter Pence clubbed a two-run homer for the Phillies, who have dropped four of five to fall to 14-17.
Manager Charlie Manuel thinks his team is trying too hard to force things to happen.
"First of all, I think we're tight. I think we try too hard and I think that's why we swing at pitches out of the zone," said Manuel. "When you have to do something, that's how you feel -- you have to do it. We'll be OK if we just relax."
The Mets scored seven unanswered runs after Philadelphia scored a pair in each of the first two innings against starter Miguel Batista.
Phillies starter Joe Blanton gave up an RBI single to Murphy in the fourth, and New York surged ahead with a four-run seventh.
Blanton issued a leadoff walk to Jordany Valdespin, but retired the next two batters before consecutive singles by Andres Torres and Nieuwenhuis plated Valdespin.
Chad Qualls (1-1) replaced Blanton and Wright greeted him with a run-scoring single to right field. Wright got caught in a rundown between first and second when Pence missed the cutoff man with the throw. As the play continued, second baseman Pete Orr made an errant throw to third that enabled Nieuwenhuis to score the tying run.
Another pitching change followed and Duda singled home the go-ahead run off Antonio Bastardo.
The Phillies put the tying run on base in the eighth as Placido Polanco reached on an infield single and advanced to third on two wild pitches by Ramon Ramirez. Orr went down swinging for the second out and pinch-hitter Ty Wigginton flied out to center to end the inning.
New York added two runs in the ninth on a Nieuwenhuis sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Duda.
Pence's first-inning blast staked the Phillies to an early lead. They extended their advantage in the second on an RBI single by Orr, who came around to score on a double by Shane Victorino.
Game Notes
Batista gave up four runs -- two earned -- on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings...Manny Acosta (1-2) recorded the final two outs in the sixth to pick up the win...Blanton allowed four runs on five hits, walked three and struck out seven...Victorino has hit in 16 straight games against the Mets...Before the game, the Mets placed catcher Josh Thole on the seven-day disabled list with a concussion and selected the contract of catcher Rob Johnson from Triple-A Buffalo. Thole was injured during a home plate collision with Wigginton in the eighth inning Monday. To make room for Johnson on the 40-man roster, the Mets transferred pitcher Pedro Beato to the 60-day DL.
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