Mets Lose; Yoenis Cespedes Injury Scare

The Mets blew a 5-0 lead and lost to the Phillies in a long, dull, terrible game Wednesday. But there was one bit of unwanted excitement — Yoenis Cespedes left the game after being hit on the hand by a pitch.

Cespedes was clearly in pain after getting hit in the third. And Mets fans were also in pain as we had to wait for the diagnosis. Was the Mets post-season over before it could even begin? Then we got word that it was just a contusion on his left middle and ring fingers. No break, which means Cespedes will be back.

Now to the game. Daniel Murphy hit his career-high 14th home run in the first inning, a three-run job that gave the Mets the early lead. Michael Conforto hit a two-run homer later in the inning, ending Phillies starter Alec Asher after just two-thirds of an inning for a 5-0 lead.

The Phillies scored three runs against Logan Verrett, who lasted just 4.1 innings.

Then it was time for beanball. Kirk Nieuwenhuis was hit by a pitch in the fifth, and the Mets retaliated by nailing Odubel Herrera in the next inning. Both sides were warned. And when a Hansel Robles pitch sailed just by the head of Cameron Rupp, the benches cleared and Robles and Terry Collins were ejected. It does not appear Robles did it on purpose — the call was a slider that just got away from him. Bobby Parnell came on, and of course it did not go well. He allowed two runs to score to tie the game at five. Parnell was gone when the fifth pitcher of the inning let another run score to give the Phillies a 6-5 lead.

Tyler Clippard, the Mets 10th pitcher on the night, allowed a run on a wild pitch — the seventh wild pitch of the game for both teams — as the Phillies extended the lead.

Mets lose an ugly four-hour affair 7-5, but win because Yoenis Cespedes will not miss the playoffs. It’s a good trade-off.