Mets Second Half Begins with Loss to Phillies

Maybe the Mets needed a few  more days off. The Mets began the second half of the season the way they ended the first — with a loss. The Mets are now losers of three straight after a lackluster 7-2 loss to the Phillies — on “pyrotechnics night” (below), no less.

R.A. Dickey got the Mets into a hole early by allowing three runs in the second inning. Tim Byrdak allowed three unearned runs in the seventh, courtesy of two walks, a botched double play, an error, and then a two-run double after he was removed from the game in favor of Ryota Igarashi.

Rookie Vance Worley once again baffled the Mets bats — he is 2-1 against them this season. The only Mets highlight was Carlos Beltran’s 14th home run of the season, a rocket to dead center.

So the Mets are now back at .500, and fall eight and a half games behind the Braves in the Wild Card race. As Yogi may or may not have said, “It’s getting late early.”