Matt Harvey Brilliant, Mets Blow Game to Phillies

This was the final start of the season for Matt Harvey, and he went out on a high note against the Phillies Wednesday night, throwing perhaps the best game of his young career. But the Mets blew the lead in the ninth as the Phillies went on to win, 3-2.

Jimmy Rollins led off the game against Harvey with a solo home run to give the Phillies an early 1-0 lead. It was the only hit Harvey would allow all night.

The Mets evened the game in the third. Ruben Tejada singled with two outs, stole second and scored on a single to shallow left by Daniel Murphy.

David Wright gave the Mets a 2-1 lead when he led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo shot to right. Wright’s 18th home run on the season was his first homer in nearly a month.

Harvey lasted seven innings, allowing one run on one hit. He struck out seven and walked three. So Harvey ends his rookie season with a 3-5 record, 70 strikeouts and a 2.73 ERA in 10 starts.

With Frank Francisco unavailable because of elbow tendinitis, Josh Edgin came on in the ninth to protect the one run lead. He got the first two outs but then walked Chase Utley on a 3-2 count. Ryan Howard followed with a monster shot off the facade in right field to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead.

Tejada singled with one out in the ninth against Jonathan Papelbon. Murphy hit a slicing shot to left that Domonic Brown dove for and caught for the second out. Wright hit a sharp grounder but right at Utley for the final out of the game.

The Mets go down 3-2; their 82nd loss of the season, guaranteeing a fourth straight losing season in Flushing.