Phillies Explode for Big Inning Against Mets’ Heilman
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PHILADELPHIA – Chase Utley had three hits, including a go-ahead RBI single in a six-run seventh inning, leading the Philadelphia Phillies over the Mets 8-4 last night.
Jim Thome homered and Kenny Lofton had a three-run double for the Phillies, who won for just the third time in eight games.
Cliff Floyd and Mike Piazza homered for the Mets, who have lost 10 of 13. Floyd also made an outstanding catch, crashing into the left-field wall to rob Lofton with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth.
But Lofton’s liner down the left-field line with two outs in the seventh cleared the bases and gave the Phillies an 8-2 lead.
After the Mets tied it at 2 against reliever Ryan Madson in the seventh, the Phillies answered in their half. Thome walked with one out off Royce Ring (0-2). Aaron Heilman entered and hit Pat Burrell with his first pitch. Utley followed with a slicing liner to left that scored Thome to make it 3-2.
Mike Lieberthal’s two-out single drove in Burrell, and Utley scored on a wild pitch after pinch-hitter Jason Michaels singled, giving the Phillies a 5-2 lead.
Piazza hit a two-run shot off struggling reliever Ugueth Urbina in the eighth. Urbina has allowed four homers in 6 1 /3 innings since coming to the Phillies in a trade with Detroit.
Robinson Tejeda allowed one run and three hits in six innings. Madson (4-2) gave up one run in one inning.
Tejeda, who took injured left-hander Randy Wolf’s spot in the rotation, moved up one day when Vicente Padilla was forced to miss a start. He’s allowed one run in three starts, spanning 16 2/3 innings.
Mets starter Victor Zambrano allowed two runs and six hits in six innings. Ring gave up one run and Heilman was charged with five runs while recording just one out. The Mets tied it at 2 on pinch-hitter Brian Daubach’s sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Thome hit a 3-0 pitch deep into the right-field seats to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead in the fifth. It was only the sixth homer for the slumping first baseman, who is hitting just .219 with 27 RBI.
Floyd hit an opposite-field homer with two outs in the fourth to tie it at 1. He drove Tejeda’s first pitch over the left-field wall for his 17th homer.
The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the second when Mets third baseman David Wright made a mental lapse.
Piazza moved into 47th place ahead of Dwight Evans on the all-time list with his 386th homer.
