Ellis keys Phillies win over Mets

NEW YORK >> A.J. Ellis got a big hit in his Philadelphia debut, breaking a seventhinning tie with a two-run double Sunday that sent the Phillies to a 5-1 victory over the New York Mets.

Vince Velasquez and four relievers quieted a streaking Mets lineup that was minus ailing sluggers Yoenis Cespedes (quad) and Neil Walker (back).

New York also lost shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera in the first inning. He exited with soreness in his left knee, a problem area that sidelined him twice earlier this year.

And just when the Mets were beginning to build some momentum in the NL wild-card race, those three recurring injuries stalled them again.

With the score tied at 1 in the seventh, Philadelphia loaded the bases with nobody out on singles by Tommy Joseph, Aaron Altherr and Jimmy Paredes off Robert Gsellman (1-1), who was very effective to that point in his first major league start.

The rookie left to a nice round of applause from the crowd of 32,033, and gave way to Hansel Robles.

Ellis drove Robles’ fourth pitch over Curtis Granderson’s head in left field, scoring Joseph and Altherr with his first hit for the Phillies. The veteran catcher was acquired Thursday from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade for longtime Philadelphia backstop Carlos Ruiz.

Pinch-hitter Peter Bourjos was hit by a pitch from Robles with the bases loaded, forcing in another run.

Cesar Hernandez added a sacrifice fly to make it 5-1.

David Hernandez (3-3) pitched a scoreless inning for the win as the Phillies, outscored 21-5 in the first two games of the series, avoided a weekend sweep.

Philadelphia squandered two chances to score early in the game, when Freddy Galvis was thrown out at home on a failed safety squeeze and Altherr was cut down at the plate on Paredes’ fourth-inning RBI double.

Velasquez allowed five hits in five innings while striking out seven. The 24-year-old right-hander had allowed 19 runs and 25 hits over his previous 16 1/3 innings.

The Mets entered having scored 31 runs over their last three games, including three homers by Cabrera during that span.