Despite Wheeler's Solid Outing, Mets Lose To Phillies 3-2
PHILADELPHIA (CBSNewYork/AP) — Jake Arrieta pitched neatly into the ninth inning, Scott Kingery and Cesar Hernandez hit solo homers and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 3-2 Wednesday.
Hector Neris blew a 95 mph fastball past Keon Broxton with a 3-2 count and the bases loaded for the final out and his second save.
Arrieta (3-1) allowed two runs and six hits, inducing three double-play grounders. The veteran righty has pitched like the ace who won the 2015 NL Cy Young Award with the Cubs. He's thrown at least seven innings in three straight starts and lowered his ERA to 1.93.
Zack Wheeler (1-2) gave up three runs and five hits in seven innings.
Despite losing the game, it was the first quality start by a Mets pitcher since Wheeler last took the mound on April 12 against the Braves. Over New York's previous four games, Jason Vargas, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Steven Matz had combined to give up 18 runs in just 10 1/3 innings.
Arrieta took the mound to start the ninth aiming for his first complete game since tossing a no-hitter on April 21, 2016, against Cincinnati. But he exited after Pete Alonso reached on an infield single that glanced off Arrieta to begin the inning.
Adam Morgan entered and hit Robinson Cano in the back with a fastball. After Morgan retired Michael Conforto on a fly to right, Neris struck out J.D. Davis. But Amed Rosario reached on an infield single that drove in a run and Neris hit pinch-hitter Wilson Ramos near his left elbow to load the bases.
With the crowd standing and cheering, Neris then struck out Broxton and pumped his fist jumping off the mound in celebration.
Maikel Franco's sacrifice fly in the second gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead.
Kingery hit an opposite-field drive out to right-center for his second homer in two games to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead in the fifth.
Hernandez drove his second homer into the right-field seats in the sixth to make it 3-0.
Conforto connected in the seventh, launching his fifth homer inside the right-field foul pole to cut it to 3-1. He has 16 homers and 46 RBIs in only 51 career games against the Phillies.
SERIES MATTERS:
The Phillies have lost the season series to the Mets seven straight seasons, but took two out of three to start this year. The teams meet again in New York next week.
ROSTER MOVES:
Mets RHP Jacob Rhame was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. RHP Drew Gagnon was optioned after tossing 5 1/3 innings in relief in Tuesday night's 14-3 loss.
TRAINER'S ROOM:
Mets INF Jed Lowrie will start taking live batting practice at the team's spring complex in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Lowrie has been sidelined by a left knee sprain. ... OF Brandon Nimmo wasn't in the lineup after leaving with neck stiffness Tuesday night.
UP NEXT:
After an off day, reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom (2-2, 3.68 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game set at St. Louis on Friday. DeGrom has an 8.44 ERA in three career starts on the road against the Cardinals.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
