NEW YORK (AP) — Jake Arrieta bounced back from the shortest start of his career by pitching seven solid innings to lead the Philadelphia Phillies over the New York Mets 5-3 Friday night for their fifth straight win.
Roman Quinn snapped a tie with a two-out, RBI single in the seventh as the Phillies won for the 10th time in 11 games.
The Mets wore patches with No. 41 on the uniform sleeves in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver, who died earlier this week.
Arrieta (3-4), who gave up seven runs in 1 1/3 innings against Atlanta on Sunday, allowed two runs and seven hits while walking one and striking out seven.
“As a starter, based on the way I threw last start — that’s a long four days, that’s a tough week,” Arrieta said.
It was the first time Arrieta pitched beyond the sixth inning, as well as the first time he struck out more than six, since May 25, 2019, when he allowed two runs and whiffed eight in eight innings in a win over Milwaukee.
The outing Friday allowed Arrieta to keep pace with the rest of his rotation mates. Even with Arrieta’s hiccup on Sunday, Phillies starters have compiled a 3.29 ERA during their 10-1 run.
“It’s kind of an unsaid competition amongst the starters,” Arrieta said. “Because (Aaron) Nola does his thing, (Zack) Wheeler does his thing and we want to continue that.”
Jay Bruce and Didi Gregorius had early RBIs to stake Arrieta to a 2-0 lead. Michael Conforto hit a tying, two-run homer in the fifth before Arrieta retired six of the final seven batters he faced. He entered the seventh inning having thrown a season-high 91 pitches but set down the Mets’ 7-8-9 batters on 11 pitches.
The Phillies put Arrieta in line for the win in the seventh. Jared Hughes (1-2) retired the first two batters he faced before Phil Gosselin doubled and scored on Quinn’s hit.
The Phillies added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth. Rhys Hoskins scored following an error by first baseman Dominic Smith on Jean Segura’s infield hit and Gregorius came home after Adam Haseley was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Gosselin’s double was the only extra-base hit for the Phillies, who received a hit apiece from seven players.
“We won this game, but you don’t really think anyone had a big game,” Phillies manager Joe Girardi said. “It was a single here, stolen base, another single. It was contributions from up and down the lineup.”
The Mets within 5-3 in the bottom of the eighth an RBI single by Smith off Hector Neris. Tommy Hunter retired both batters he faced before Brandon Workman earned his fifth save for the Phillies, and his ninth overall, with a perfect ninth.
Rick Porcello allowed two runs over six innings for the Mets, who have lost six of eight. Smith and J.D. Davis had two hits, as did Gimenez, who turned 22 Friday.
“We’re five games under .500 and we’re not in first place,” Porcello said. “We don’t have a lot of time to climb out of that.”
OUT OF TIME
Girardi debated whether or not to ask for a replay review in the third, when Hoskins was forced at second base after Gregorius’ flare hung up before landing in shallow right field. Gregorius was credited with a fielder’s choice and an RBI as Andrew McCutchen trotted home.
With Hoskins remaining at second base, home plate umpire Paul Nauert said “3…2…1” and then said Girardi’s 30 seconds had expired. Girardi came out of the dugout to plead his case as someone in the Mets’ dugout was heard yelling “No, no, no!” After a few seconds, Girardi headed back and Hoskins trotted off the field.
CY VS CY
Porcello, who won the 2016 AL Cy Young Award, opposed a fellow former Cy Young Award winner — Arrieta earned the NL honors in 2015 — for the third time this season. Porcello and the Washington Nationals’ Max Scherzer (2013, 2016, 2017) faced each other in back-to-back starts on Aug. 5-11.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: RF Bryce Harper, who is batting .156 in his last 14 games, got the day off. … Girardi said he LHP Alex Morgan (shoulder) and IF/OF Scott Kingery (back) both have a chance to be activated when eligible next Wednesday.
Mets: RHP Erasmo Ramirez was recalled from the alternate training site in Brooklyn to add depth to a taxed bullpen. OF Billy Hamilton, who was thrown out trying to steal third base for the first out of the ninth inning in Thursday’s 10-inning win over the Yankees, was designated for assignment.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Spencer Howard (1-1, 5.40 ERA) is scheduled to make his fifth big league start after lasting five innings for the first time in his first win on Monday.
Mets: RHP Seth Lugo (1-2, 2.12 ERA) has allowed one run over 6 2/3 innings in two starts since moving to the rotation.
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