Jeremy Hefner, Mets Beat Phillies
The Mets are now just a game and a half out of first place in the NL East after beating the Phillies Tuesday night.
The Phillies jumped out to the early lead in the first when Jimmy Rollins, who led off the game with a double, scored from third on a wild pitch by Jeremy Hefner.
Phillies starter Joe Blanton helped out the Mets with some sloppiness of his own. In the bottom of the first he hit leadoff batter Mike Baxter. Kirk Nieuwenhuis singled to advance Baxter to third. David Wright then singled off the glove of Rollins to break his 0-13 streak and even the score at one. Nieuwenhuis would score on an Ike Davis single to give the Mets a 2-1 lead.
But the Phillies tied it up in the second when former Met Brian Schneider hit a solo shot into the upper deck in right.
The Mets came right back in the bottom of the inning. Newest Met Omar Quintanilla doubled off the wall and scored on a Baxter double — his 11th double on the season to make it 3-2 Mets. Quintanilla, by the way, had three hits on the night.
And then in the fourth, Hefner hit a solo shot into the seats in left field for his first major league hit and a 4-2 Mets lead.
Juan Pierre led off the sixth inning with a single. Hunter Pence followed with a double down the line in left. The ball stayed under the padding in foul territory and went underneath the glove of Baxter. Pierre, who stopped at third, then took off and scored on the error to make it 4-3. Pence advanced to third with no outs, but Hefner was able to pitch out of the jam with the lead intact.
Hefner allowed the three runs in six innings, striking out four and allowing no walks. It was a fine follow-up to his first start in which he couldn’t get back on track following a rain delay.
Pinch hitter Scott Hairston made it 6-3 with a two-run homer in the sixth. Hairston’s third home run in the past four games gives him six on the season, which leads the team.
Then the rains came in the middle of the eighth, and after about an hour the game resumed. A short time later the Mets were 6-3 winners. Frank Francisco is turning things around with his 14th save, which is tied for the NL lead.
The first major league win for Jeremy Hefner to go along with his homer. Nice night for him.