Mets take down Phillies for first time this season

Gimenez hit a high fly ball to shallow right field but Bryce Harper never charged in, forcing second baseman Neil Walker to make the catch, which allowed Todd Frazier to easily score. New York took a 4-1 edge on an RBI groundout in the fifth by Dominic Smith when Walker was unable to start a double play.

Seth Lugo pitched five solid innings in his longest start since returning to the rotation and the New York Mets scored in four straight innings to beat the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 Saturday night. Lugo (2-2) settled down nicely after allowing a homer to Rhys Hoskins two batters in and produced his longest start since pitching six innings on June 10, 2018, against the New York Yankees. He also produced New York's first win by a starting pitcher in 20 games.

In his third start since switching from his bullpen role, Lugo allowed one run on four hits. Lugo struck out eight, walked two, and threw 81 pitches -- 21 more than his previous start in Sunday's doubleheader against the Yankees. Four relievers (Jeurys Familia, Justin Wilson, Miguel Castro and Edwin Diaz) pitched a scoreless inning apiece as the Mets halted a six-game losing streak to the Phillies.

The Mets (18-22) scored in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to beat the Phillies (19-16) for the first time in five meetings this season. Rookie Andres Gimenez opened the Mets' scoring on an RBI single with nobody out in the third off rookie Spencer Howard (1-2) and scored on Michael Conforto's single to left.

The Mets took a 3-1 lead in the fourth on a strange sacrifice fly by Gimenez. Gimenez hit a high fly ball to shallow right field but Bryce Harper never charged in, forcing second baseman Neil Walker to make the catch, which allowed Todd Frazier to easily score.

New York took a 4-1 edge on an RBI groundout in the fifth by Dominic Smith when Walker was unable to start a double play. The Mets went up 5-1 in the sixth on a double by Robinson Chirinos when center fielder Roman Quinn tried to make a running catch but had the ball pop out of his glove near the fence. Hoskins' eighth homer was the lone highlight for the Phillies, whose five-game winning streak ended. Philadelphia also lost for the second time in 12 games on a night in which Harper was ejected.

Harper was ejected by first base umpire Roberto Ortiz after grounding out for the final out of the fifth. Earlier in his at-bat, Ortiz ruled a ball foul and Harper argued for a few minutes while Walker tried to restrain him. Howard allowed three runs on four hits in four innings. He struck out three and walked one.

--Field Level Media

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