Cabrera delivers the Mets by the Phillies
New York — Asdrubal Cabrera hit a go-ahead homer on his bobblehead day, part of a four-run rally in the seventh inning that carried the New York Mets past the Philadelphia Phillies 7-6 on Saturday.
The Mets overcame three errors and a shaky start by Zack Wheeler in his return from the disabled list to win their second straight against Philadelphia. They have won four consecutive games overall and seven of their last eight.
The Phillies, who at 26-53 have the worst record in the majors, dropped to 20-45 against the Mets since 2014. Jeremy Hellickson left with a 6-4 lead in the seventh after giving up seven hits, including solo homers by Lucas Duda and T.J. Rivera.
After entering with one out and nobody on, reliever Pat Neshek (2-2) gave up three hits. Travis d'Arnaud doubled and scored on a single by pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores. With two outs, Cabrera drove an 85 mph slider to right-center to give New York a 7-6 lead.
In a fitting coincidence, the bobblehead giveaway at Citi Field depicted Cabrera with his arms raised in excitement after his game-winning homer against the Phillies last September.
After a 57-minute rain delay in the top of the eighth, Addison Reed came on and got four outs for his 14th save in 16 tries. Reed worked around a leadoff double by Aaron Altherr in the ninth that nearly cleared the right-field wall.
With a runner on third, Reed retired Maikel Franco on a shallow fly to end it.
Fernando Salas (1-2) got the win despite giving up a three-run homer to Tommy Joseph that gave Philadelphia a 6-3 lead in the seventh.
Rivera homered leading off the bottom half.
Wheeler, who missed the past two seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery, made his first start since going on the DL retroactive to June 20 with biceps tendinitis. He gave up two hits, two unearned runs and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.
The Phillies turned two errors into two runs in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead, then gave the lead right back. Cabrera led off the bottom of the inning with a double and scored on Jay Bruce's groundout. Duda homered on an 89 mph fastball, sending his drive into the giant bin that houses the home run apple in straightaway center field.
Wheeler retired seven in a row and nine of 10 during one stretch. But he slipped up in the fourth after Joseph reached on a one-out error by Rivera at third base.
After consecutive walks loaded the bases, New York had a chance to turn a 3-6-1 double play that would have ended the inning. Wheeler, however, dropped the relay at first base for an error that allowed two runs to score.
Joseph tied it at 3 with an RBI double in the fifth.
Duda doubled in the second and scored on a two-out double by Jose Reyes.
Trainer's room
Phillies: LF-2B Howie Kendrick expects to have an MRI this week on his strained left hamstring. He was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday, retroactive to Wednesday.
Mets: Duda didn't start any of the previous three games because of flulike symptoms . ... All-Star closer Jeurys Familia, who had surgery in May for a blood clot near his right armpit, will head to Florida next week to begin a throwing program.