The New York Mets completed a four-game sweep of the Phillies with a 9-5 victory in 13 innings at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday night.
Daniel Murphy’s two-run double with one out in the 13th broke a 5-5 tie. Murphy made a sensational play at first base in the 10th inning.
The Mets scored two more runs in the 13th to put the game away.
The Phillies actually led the game, 5-0, after three innings, but Aaron Harang could not hold it. He allowed three homers in coughing up the lead.
The Mets lead the NL East by 6½ games over the Washington Nationals. The Phillies have baseball’s worst record at 50-78.
The Phillies have lost 12 of 13 games to the Mets this season. The two teams meet six more times, including three in New York next week.
The Mets hit 13 homers in sweeping the four-game series. Eight of them came in the first game.
Phillies starting pitchers were tagged for 17 earned runs in 21 innings in the four games for an ERA of 7.29.
Starting pitching report
Harang gave up five runs, all on homers, in six innings of work. He allowed a pair of two-run home runs and a solo home run in squandering a 5-0 lead.
Harang’s ERA is 4.79 in 23 starts.
Mets lefty Jonathon Niese also allowed five runs over six innings. All the runs came in the third inning.
Bullpen report
Jeanmar Gomez pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out Michael Conforto with runners on the corners to end the top of the seventh and keep the game tied.
Ken Giles pitched in parts of three innings and got seven outs. He threw 30 pitches. Giles had not pitched since Sunday. The Phillies needed the extra outs because their bullpen had been stretched thin in the series.
Elvis Araujo started the 11th inning, threw five pitches, all balls, and went to one knee. He left the game with a left groin strain.
Luis Garcia replaced Araujo. He walked two, but struck out Kelly Johnson with two men on base to escape trouble.
Hector Neris allowed four runs in the 13th to take the loss.
Mets lefty Sean Gilmartin retired the Phillies in order on nine pitches in the bottom of the ninth. He got a weak ground ball and struck out two.
The Mets’ bullpen pitched seven scoreless innings. Carlos Torres got the win.
At the plate
Jeff Francoeur drove in two runs with a single for the Phillies in the third inning. Darin Ruf put the Phils up, 5-0, with a two-run homer later in the inning.
Aaron Altherr started in left field and had two doubles. He has six hits since coming up last week – four doubles and two homers. Before the game, manager Pete Mackanin said Altherr would get more playing time against right-handed pitchers. He had been getting most of his reps against lefties.
The Mets started their comeback with a two-run home run by Travis d’Arnaud in the fourth inning. Yoenis Cespedes clubbed a long two-run homer in the fifth and Johnson tied the game later in the inning with a solo shot. All the homers were against Harang.
Murphy had seven hits and six RBIs in the series.
In the field
Mets first baseman Murphy and reliever Torres combined on an eye-popping play to end the bottom of the 10th. Francoeur hit a one-hopper that seemed to be headed up the middle for a hit. Torres flashed the back of his foot and deflected the ball toward first. Murphy made a lunging play to retrieve the ball and blindly flipped to Torres at first to get the out.
Visit from the commish
Commissioner Rob Manfred visited the ballpark Thursday. He talked about the possibility of adding more safety netting to stadiums next season (see story).
Up next
The Phillies host the San Diego Padres for a three-game series beginning Friday night. Here are the pitching matchups:
Friday night – RHP Aaron Nola (4-1, 3.59) vs. RHP Ian Kennedy (8-11, 4.01)
Saturday night – LHP Adam Morgan (4-4, 4.43) vs. RHP Colin Rea (2-1, 5.52)
Sunday afternoon – RHP Jerome Williams (4-10, 6.13) vs. RHP James Shields (9-6, 3.89).