Mets scratch deGrom, still top Phillies

NEW YORK — About a half-hour before the first pitch, the Philadelphia Phillies learned the New York Mets had scratched major-league ERA leader Jacob deGrom because of a steady rain forecast for all afternoon.

“In a big game, obviously we liked our chances not having to face him,” Rhys Hoskins said.

Hoskins hit a two-run homer in the first inning off rookie Corey Oswalt, but the Phillies could not shake their funk. Vince Velasquez allowed Michael Conforto’s tiebreaking, three-run homer in a four-run fifth inning that propelled New York to a 6-4 win Sunday.

Since moving a seasonhigh 15 games over .500 with a four-game sweep of Miami that ended Aug. 5, the Phillies have gone 1020. They are winless in 10 series, losing nine — including seven in a row.

“Of course that’s a missed opportunity,” Hoskins said. “Not because it wasn’t deGrom and we didn’t beat somebody else. Just another series that seemed to slip away.”

Philadelphia led the NL East before play Aug. 12 but started Sunday 31⁄2 games behind first-place Atlanta. The Phillies trailed by the same margin for the second wild card with three weeks left.

After a loss as dismal as Sunday’s weather, manager Gabe Kapler said “we need to turn the page quickly” more often than a speedreading instructor.

“Things kind of just got out of hand,” Velasquez said. “Missing spots kind of all game. Conditions kind of got the best of me and can’t let that happen.”

Conforto tied a career best with four RBIs and made a fine catch. Rookie Jeff McNeil had his second straight three-hit game and fifth overall, raising his average to .340 as the Mets took two of three.

Mets manager Mickey Callaway decided just before a 27-minute rain delay at the start that he wouldn’t pitch deGrom.

“We kind of approached Jacob about it, said, hey, there’s a good chance you could start this game and it could be one inning or two innings. We could get a long delay and probably bang for the rest of the day,” Callaway said.

Making his ninth start, Oswalt allowed his 13th home run in 53 innings. Hoskins went deep for the third straight game and reached 30 for the first time.