Scary moments for Mets as Yoenis Céspedes hit by pitch during loss to Phillies
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New York Mets' Yoenis Cespedes, left, reacts after being hit by a pitch from Philadelphia Phillies' Justin De Fratus as catcher Cameron Rupp looks on during the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Yoenis Céspedes and the New York Mets felt they'd caught a lucky break — no broken bones for the slugger.
Céspedes wound up with bruises on two fingers of his left hand after he was hit by a pitch Wednesday night in a testy, 7-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
X-rays were negative on Céspedes, struck on the ring and middle fingers.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"That's always scary," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Very relieved he's OK."
Céspedes was hit by Justin De Fratus and came out of the game.
"I felt pain when I first got hit," Céspedes said through a translator. "I was relieved when X-rays came back negative."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}De Fratus said it was a sinker that got away.
"I hope he's OK," he said. "We don't want to be doing them any favors, but that's not the way I want to do it. I feel bad about it."
Acquired at the July 31 trade deadline from Detroit, Céspedes is batting .287 with 17 homers and 44 RBIs in 54 games with the Mets. Overall, he has set career highs this season with 35 home runs and 105 RBIs.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Céspedes exited in the third inning after being hit, but returned to the dugout in the sixth when the benches started to empty following a high-and-tight pitch.
Céspedes' replacement, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, later was hit. After that, Odubel Herrera of the Phillies was plunked in the back.
The three hit batters prompted a warning to both teams before Hansel Robles' head-high pitch sent Philadelphia's Cameron Rupp to the ground in the sixth. Robles and Collins were ejected.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It was a fastball that got away," Robles said.
Said Collins, "You can't miss that bad up around the head."
Daniel Murphy and Michael Conforto homered for the NL East champion Mets, who remained one game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for home-field advantage in the Division Series. The Mets hold the tiebreaker in the event the teams finish with identical records.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Freddy Galvis drove in two runs for the Phillies and scored the go-ahead run in the sixth on a wild pitch.
Ken Roberts (1-1) retired one batter. Seven Phillies relievers combined to pitch 8 1-3 scoreless innings, capped by Ken Giles working the ninth for his 15th save in 19 chances.
Bobby Parnell (2-4) faced three batters and retired none of them.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The teams combined to use 17 pitchers in the 3-hour, 59-minute game.
"It was an ugly game," Collins said. "We have to get rekindled here. We'll get it going."
Darin Ruf had a two-run double for the Phillies.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Phillies went ahead with three runs on one hit in the sixth, with Galvis scoring on Carlos Torres' wild pitch.
Conforto's two-run homer with two outs in the first made it 5-0 and finished Alec Asher.
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