Miller hits 2 homers, Phillies hold off Mets for seventh straight
PHILADELPHIA — Brad Miller homered twice and the first-place Philadelphia Phillies withstood a ninth-inning rally for their seventh straight victory, 5-3 over the sinking New York Mets on Saturday.
Odubel Herrera hit a three-run homer and doubled for the Phillies, who increased their NL East lead over New York to 11⁄2 games. It is Philadelphia’s longest winning streak since September 2012.
The Mets have lost six of seven and eight of 10. They had just two hits before Michael Conforto, Jonathan Villar and James McCann started the ninth with three consecutive homers to match a club record.
Two more batters reached base before new closer Ian Kennedy struck out slumping Pete Alonso and J.D. Davis for his 18th save and second with the Phillies.
A double by pitcher Tylor Megill and an infield single by Javier Baez were the only Mets hits through eight innings.
Phillies manager Joe Girardi had Kennedy ready to start the ninth, but he chose to bring in 25-yearold rookie lefty Mauricio Llovera after Miller’s solo homer in the eighth made it 5-0.
New York took advantage of Llovera, who was making his fifth career appearance, as Conforto, Villar and McCann lined shots in similar spots over the wall in right to pull the Mets to 5-3. Girardi then summoned Kennedy, acquired in a trade-deadline deal with the Rangers on July 30.
Kevin Pillar greeted him with a hard single, but pinch-hitter Jeff McNeil fouled out before Brandon Nimmo walked. Kennedy then whiffed Alonso and Davis to end it.
Alonso is hitless in his last 17 at-bats and the Mets are 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position during the first two games of the series.
Ranger Suarez, making his second straight start after coming out of the bullpen in his first 28 appearances, opened with 22⁄3 innings for Philadelphia without allowing a hit. The 25-year-old lefty lowered his ERA to 0.98.
J.D. Hammer (1-0), Hector Neris and Jose Alvarado followed with 51⁄3 scoreless innings, striking out seven and walking one.
Megill (1-2) cruised through four shutout innings, allowing one hit, before running into trouble in the fifth when the Phillies scored four runs.
Miller, in the lineup for injured first baseman Rhys Hoskins, led off with a long homer to right-center to put Philadelphia ahead. A double and a walk put runners on first and second with two outs for Herrera, who sent the first pitch he saw, a 95 mph fastball, into the second deck in right.
Megill was lifted one batter later after giving up a single. The rookie righthander permitted four runs and five hits with five strikeouts and a walk in 42⁄3 innings.
The Mets have totaled 20 runs in their last eight defeats. New York manager Luis Rojas stacked the lineup at the outset with righthanded hitters in hopes of countering Suarez, to no avail. The lefty batters who came in to face Philadelphia’s relievers didn’t fare better — until the ninth.
The mostly lackluster performance helped silence the large contingent of Mets fans among the spirited 37,057 in attendance. That included the entire second deck in left field occupied exclusively by Mets fans. The only home crowd bigger this season in Philadelphia came during a twogame June series against the Yankees when 38,450 and 38,512 watched the Phillies win a pair.
MORE DEFENSIVE WOES
Alec Bohm made another error at third base after committing two in Friday’s 4-2 victory over New York.