Cespedes’ home run gave the Mets a 5-1 lead.
Advertisement
“Tonight”, manager Pete Mackanin said, “was embarrassing”.
Hellickson, who had won four consecutive decisions and six of his last seven, gave up a three-run shot to Cespedes that gave the Mets a 5-1 cushion with two outs in the fourth.
“It’s like they know what’s coming”, Mackanin said.
The loss was the fourth in the last five games for the Phillies, and their seventh in the last 10 games. Mostly healthy at last after lagging through much of the summer as one of baseball’s weakest offences, the Mets have totalled 31 runs while winning their past three games.
Cabrera in the two hole has worked wonders for Terry Collins.
There was an October feel on the field these past two games at Citi Field, and contingent on the surge continuing, the Mets could play one or more significant games in seven weeks. NY got some help Saturday with losses by Miami and St. Louis and moved within 2 1/2 games of the Cardinals for the league’s second wild card. But the defending NL champions (65-63) remained 3 1/2 games behind St. Louis in a crowded race for the league’s second wild card.
“It looks like a completely different team”, Collins said. And right now the hitting and home run ball resembles a similar trait of a year ago when the Mets went on a second half run. Neil Walker added a solo homer in the eighth for the Mets, who have scored 39 runs in their last four games. Velasquez (8-6, 4.31 ERA) is 0-3 with an 8.86 ERA in four August starts but does have an impressive 29 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings during that stretch. First pitch is set for 10:10 a.m. PT at Citi Field where NY is a moneyline favorite of -137. The concern is the immediate future, with a huge four-game series against the Marlins slated to begin Monday.
“The desire, the motivation”, he explained.
Then there is Cabrera. New York Mets’ Bartolo Colon hits a double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, Aug. 26, 2016, in New York. “I see improvements. Sure, the home runs and the numbers will tell you different, but I see improvements”, Morgan said.
Right now, he is resembling Murphy and the Mets will take it.
“The confidence at the plate”, Cabrera said.
The 43-year-old Colon (12-7) carried a two-hitter into the eighth and took over the team lead in wins as NY began a pivotal 10-game homestand by winning for the fifth time in its past six. The current hot stretch follows a 34-game stretch in which NY went 13-21 and scored three runs or fewer 18 times.
Jose Reyes (7) and the Mets celebrate after a laughter against the Phillies. On Friday, the Mets took a 9-4 win.
“I’ve been on a nice little run”, Hellickson said.
The Mets seem to be playing pretty well lately, so I’ll take NY here. And who have have thought that just a week ago?
Advertisement
Yes this is very reminiscent to last season and if this surge continues, well as they say in boxing, it will be one heck of a fight.
