PHILADELPHIA — Fernando Tatis hit a two-run homer in the 12th inning, lifting the Mets to a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday in a game that ended more than seven hours after it started.

Jayson Werth hit a two-run shot off Billy Wagner with two outs in the ninth to send the game into extra innings after it was delayed 2 hours, 50 minutes because of heavy rain in the bottom of the eighth.

But the Mets avoided another devastating loss in a season filled with them when Tatis connected off Chad Durbin (2-2) with one out in the 12th for his second homer of the season.

Joe Smith (1-1) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings to earn the win.

The Mets have won two in a row in a big series against the NL East-leading Phillies. They trail Philadelphia by 3 1/2 games with a chance to move closer in the finale Monday night.

The Mets were one strike away from winning when Werth drove a 1-2 pitch from Wagner into the left-center field seats to tie it at 2. Wagner, named to the All-Star team for the sixth time in his career earlier in the day, has six blown saves in 25 chances.

Mets starter Oliver Perez allowed four hits, struck out six, and walked two in seven innings.

Trailing 1-0, the Phillies had two runners on with one out and Ryan Howard at the plate against Pedro Feliciano when rain came. By the time it resumed, only a fraction of the sellout crowd remained and most of the Mets fans were gone.

After the long delay, Feliciano fanned Howard on three pitches. Aaron Heilman replaced Feliciano and walked Pat Burrell to load the bases. But he retired Pedro Feliz on a bouncer to the mound to end the inning.

Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick allowed one run and eight hits in six innings.

Carlos Beltran lined a 3-2 pitch off Kendrick into the right-field seats in the third to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. Beltran was in a 2-for-21 slump before he connected for his 13th homer.

Beltran’s two-out RBI single off Brad Lidge in the ninth gave the Mets a 2-0 lead that Wagner couldn’t protect.

Both starters threw a lot of pitches and worked out of trouble much of the game. The Phillies had runners on second and third with one out in the first, but Howard struck out and Burrell fouled out.

Mets right fielder Endy Chavez made a sensational, leaping catch sprinting toward the right-field corner to rob Carlos Ruiz of extra bases and save a run in the second. An appreciative Perez walked off the mound, pointed to Chavez and tipped his cap.

Notes: Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins stole his 34th straight base without getting caught, dating to last August 31. … Wagner was the only Mets player picked for the All-Star team. 3B David Wright is among the five players up for the final spot to be chosen by fans through online voting.