Phillies Fail to Capitalize on Homers; Lose to Mets

It is not often that a pitcher of the caliber of the Mets‘ Johan Santana gives up four home runs, especially in the cavernous new digs dubbed Citi Field—a ballpark most notable for its tendency to produce triples rather than home runs.

So when a team sends four to the bleachers off of Santana, it puts itself in a position where it has to win the game. The Phillies failed to do so, losing the three-game series opener by a frustrating 6-5 final.

JA Happ did not have his typical solid game, digging himself a three-run hole by giving up home runs to David Wright and Carlos Beltran in the first three innings.

Happ lasted just 5 1/3 innings, going over 100 pitches much earlier than the Phillies would have wanted. In the process, Happ walked four batters and allowed six hits, two of which were home runs.

Down 0-3 against Santana, many Phillies’ fans assumed the game was over, but the bats came alive in the fourth inning.

Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez hit back-to-back homers to swing the momentum back to the Phillies.

In the sixth, Jimmy Rollins, who had a fantastic night going 3-for-4, hit a two-run home run to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead. But the Mets responded in the bottom of the inning.

Fernando Tatis hit a lead-off double and reached third base on a Carlos Ruiz error attempting to pick him off. The throw went wide and glanced off of Rollins’ glove and into left center field.

Tatis then beat a Howard throw on a fielder’s choice off a Ryan Church grounder. The home plate umpire called Tatis out, thinking that Ruiz blocked the plate. Replays showed that Tatis should have been called safe, tying the game at four.

Despite the blown call, the Mets found a way to keep attacking.

Clay Condrey came out the bullpen with Church at first base and one out. Omir Santos hit a single to right field to put runners at first and second for Santana.

After going to an 0-2 count with two failed bunt attempts, the Mets’ ace smacked a momentum-killing double down the right field line, scoring Church to tie the game and putting two runners in scoring position.

Alex Cora hit a two-out single to give the Mets a 5-4 lead. After Beltran was intentionally walked, Gary Sheffield struck out to end the inning.

Chad Durbin allowed a solo home run in the seventh inning to Church to give the Mets a two-run lead. Chase Utley hit a solo jack in the eighth inning off Santana, who was then taken out of the game and replaced with Pedro Feliciano.

Felciano pitched one perfect inning. Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez then shut down the Phillies lineup in the ninth after a lead off single by Rollins.

With the loss, the Phillies’ lead in the NL East dropped to two games on the Mets. Cole Hamels gets the start against Mike Pelfrey in Wednesday night’s game.