The Phillies didn’t even register a hit off Colon until Odubel Herrera doubled with one out in the 5th.
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Jayson Werth and Daniel Murphy hit solo homers and drove in two runs each, and Gio Gonzalez earned his 100th career victory. Phillies’ starter Adam Morgan was the unfortunate starter in 2015 when the Mets hit eight home runs in one game Philadelphia, and today both Jose Reyes and Asdrubal Cabrera greeted him with home runs to start his night tonight.
Right-hander Noah Syndergaard (11-7, 2.61 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Mets against Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson.
The New York Mets look to build some more momentum Saturday night, while the Philadelphia Phillies might be looking for some name tags. It was their third loss in their last four games, and sixth in their last nine. “We can’t square the ball up off of him. I thought that was certainly the biggest hit of the game for us”.
The Phillies didn’t collect their first hit until the fifth inning.
Reyes took it back to 2006-08, with a leadoff home run, a double and a leaping catch on a Ryan Howard line drive in the fourth inning. It represented just the second time in Mets history with two home runs to start a game.
“I think it helped that he had a lead – he was able to pound the zone”, Phils outfielder Peter Bourjos said. “He’s kind of a rare bird”. You don’t face guys like that.
“He does a good job of locating the ball, changing speeds on his fastball and working quick”.
It’s not too hard to find the big hitters in NY. The 26-year-old left-hander with the 6-something ERA helped himself a week ago with a sharp performance against the Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. He was trailing 2-1 when Neil Walker, just back from the paternity leave list after the birth of a baby girl, worked a nine-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs in the fifth. But if he continues to look as he did on Friday, and during the majority of his start earlier this season in May and June, those starts are no guarantee and 2017 would nearly certainly be another year ticketed for Triple-A Lehigh Valley or another organization.
“Command issues, missing location, it’s as simple as that”, Mackanin said. Once in a while isn’t getting it done. “He has to be more consistent”.
Morgan has had back-to-back quality starts just once this season, in early June.
“It’ll happen. I’m definitely not giving up on myself or this team”, Morgan said. I just know that I’m learning. “I see improvements. Sure, the home runs and the numbers will tell you different, but I see improvements”, Morgan said. “Too many good pitches out over the plate to hit”. Syndergaard is 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA in three lifetime starts against the Phillies as the rejuvenated Mets go after their sixth victory in the last seven contests.Wilmer Flores belted a grand slam on Friday in a 9-4 triumph to push his total to nine RBIs in the last four games for NY, which has won three in a row at home and trails St. Louis by 3 ½ games for the second wild card in the National League. NY did not escape unscathed, however: Center fielder Justin Ruggiano left with a sore shoulder and will visit a doctor on Saturday morning. But in the fourth, Morgan wasn’t as fortunate.
It was the 43-year-old Colon’s first two-hit game since August 9, 2002. They have hit 46 homers in their last 29 home contests and 83 overall in Queens, two shy of the club record at Citi Field set a year ago.
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TURNING POINT: Flores’ grand slam.
