NEW YORK -- Mets’ starter Jonathon Niese wrecked the Phillies with his arm and his bat in a 5-0 victory on Tuesday night at Citi Field. Niese spun a three-hit shutout, allowing just one base runner to get to second base.
Meanwhile, the Phillies’ modest two-game winning streak came to an end with the defeat. At 60-72, the Phillies are tied for third place with the Mets in the NL East.
Starting pitching report
The regression of Kyle Kendrick continued on Tuesday night, no thanks to an error and bases on balls. Kendrick allowed five runs on five hits and four walks in six innings, though only one of those runs was earned and two of those walks were intentional.
Still, Kendrick has allowed four or more runs in eight of the last 11 starts and has a 6.10 ERA during that span in which the opposition is batting .344 off him.
Niese continued to school the Phillies on Tuesday night, picking up where he left off in his July 3 start at Citi Field. In that one, Niese held the Phillies to one run on three hits in eight innings in an 11-1 win.
In15 career starts against the Phillies, Niese is 6-6 with a 3.13 ERA.
MLB
Bullpen report
Zach Miner faced four hitters in a scoreless seventh before turning it over to Justin De Fratus for a 1-2-3 eighth.
At the plate
Michael Young was the big slugger for the Phillies, rapping out a pair of hits, including a double to lead off the eighth.
The Mets scored four runs in the sixth. All of the runs were unearned because of a throwing error by Kevin Frandsen when trying to get the lead runner on a grounder by Ike Davis. An intentional walk to Juan Lagares loaded the bases before Travis d’Arnaud drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
With two outs, Kendrick intentionally walked the No. 8 hitter, Omar Quintanilla to bring up the pitcher Niese, who ripped the eighth pitch of his at-bat into the gap in left-center to clear the bases.
It was Niese’s first extra-base hit since 2011 and the three RBIs equaled his career-best for a season with four.
Big deal
Before the game the Mets announced that they had traded former Phillie Marlon Byrd along with catcher John Buck to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Mets received 19-year-old second base prospect Dilson Herrera and a player to be named in the trade.
Both Buck and Byrd will be free agents at the end of the season.
Up next
The four-game series continues on Wednesday night when Cole Hamels (5-13, 3.62) takes on Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-1, 9.00). Hamels has faced the Mets three times this season, posting a 1-2 record with a 4.76 ERA. He last faced the Mets on July 20, going five innings and allowing four runs on seven hits in a 5-4 loss.
Matsuzaka will be making his second start of the season for the Mets and just his 20th in the big leagues since 2010. He has faced the Phillies twice, the last time on May 22, 2010 at Citizens Bank Park where Matsuzaka came four outs away from a no-hitter. Juan Castro’s single with two outs in the eighth inning was the Phils’ only hit that day.