Instant Replay: Mets 6, Phillies 4

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An uncharacteristic rough outing from lefty Cole Hamels helped the Mets to a 6-4 victory over the Phillies on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park.

Hamels was roughed up for three runs in the first inning and one more in the third, fourth and seventh as he fell to 8-14.

The lefty went into the game riding a streak in which the Phillies had won seven straight games he started and had a 6-2 record with a 2.32 ERA in his last 14 outings.

Regardless, the loss puts the Phillies at 71-82 and means they clinched their first losing season since 2002. That year, manager Larry Bowa’s crew went 80-81 with an extra-inning loss against the Marlins on the last day of the season.

Starting pitching report
Hamels had eight strikeouts on Friday night, which put him over the 1,500-plateau for his career. However, Hamels failed to get his 100th win in his seven-inning effort. With one more start likely this season, Hamels will finish with 214-plus innings for the third straight season and for the fourth time of his career.

In his last start, Hamels needs four more whiffs to reach 200 strikeouts for the season.

Deliberate Mets starter Daisuke Matsuzaka lumbered through six innings, allowing four runs on four hits and three walks. Only two of the runs allowed by Matsuzaka were earned.

Bullpen report
Justin De Fratus allowed a walk in two-thirds of an inning in the eighth and Cesar Jimenez faced one hitter to finish the eighth.

In the ninth, Jake Diekman tossed a 1-2-3 frame to finish it.

Mets’ closer LaTroy Hawkins picked up his 11th save of the season with a perfect ninth.

At the plate
The Phillies had just four hits, with Darin Ruf’s bases-loaded double in the fourth plating three runs to get the team back into the game.

However, the Phillies got just two more hits after Ruf’s double and one of those was quickly erased when Cody Asche was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple. The Phillies stranded just four runners, but went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position.

Mets slugger David Wright returned to the lineup for the first time since Aug. 2 and ripped a two-run homer to right field in his first plate appearance. It was Wright’s 18th career home run at Citizens Bank Park and, oddly enough, his second homer in his last two games.

Up next
The series continues on Saturday night when Tyler Cloyd (2-5, 5.06) takes on right-hander Dillon Gee (11-10, 3.47). Cloyd faced the Mets twice last year, going 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 14 innings.

Gee has faced the Phillies nine times and is 2-3 with a 7.66 ERA. He last faced the Phillies on June 22, allowing six runs and eight hits in five innings in an 8-7 loss for the Mets.

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