Benches clear as Mets beat Phillies for 5th win in row
PHILADELPHIA — Noah Syndergaard finally got a win on the road on an evening when things got testy in Philadelphia.
Michael Cuddyer hit a go-ahead two-run, pinch-hit single in the sixth inning and Syndergaard allowed two earned runs in five innings as the New York Mets beat the Phillies 6-5 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight victory.
Syndergaard (8-6) entered 0-5 with a 5.05 ERA in nine starts away from Citi Field while 8-1 with a 1.82 at home. He did just enough to earn his first road victory of the season. In five innings, Syndergaard allowed four runs on four hits with nine strikeouts and two walks.
''This is a good step in the right direction,'' Syndergaard said. ''I'm not trying to pay too much attention to that.''
Yoenis Cespedes homered for the Mets, who have won 17 of their last 23 to remain 5 1/2 games up on the Nationals in the NL East.
Ryan Howard and Freddy Galvis homered for Philadelphia, which has lost seven straight to the Mets.
The benches emptied in the seventh inning when Mets reliever Hansel Robles threw a pitch to Darin Ruf before the Phillies batter was ready. Philadelphia's Jeff Francoeur came up the dugout steps and Mets players moved toward the Phillies dugout. Phillies bench coach Larry Bowa was ejected by home-plate umpire Dan Bellino during the fracas.
''Let the guy step in the box, that's all I ask,'' an angry Francoeur said.
Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud said he was trying to stop Robles because Ruf's head was down, but neither the pitcher nor Mets manager Terry Collins thought the right-hander did anything wrong.
''I was surprised they were mad about it,'' Robles said through an interpreter. ''The batter was in the box and the umpire pointed to me.''
Said Collins, ''Until they make the (quick) pitch illegal, you can do it.''
The Mets took the lead with three runs in the sixth.
Jerome Williams (4-10) was lifted after a walk and a single put runners on first and third with one out. Jeanmar Gomez relieved Williams and walked home a run and surrendered Cuddyer's single to center that gave New York a 6-4 lead.
Williams was charged with five runs, four earned, on five hits in 5 1/3 innings.
''We just couldn't keep their bats down,'' Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said.
Jeurys Familia pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for his 34th save in 39 opportunities.
Syndergaard helped his own cause with an RBI double in the bottom of the second that gave New York a 3-0 lead.
The Phillies went ahead with four runs in the third.
Galvis continued his hot streak with a two-run shot to left to pull Philadelphia within 3-2. The Mets should've been out of the inning on the next batter, but Kelly Johnson couldn't complete the throw after cleanly fielding Odubel Herrera's grounder. Howard made New York pay with an opposite-field, two-run shot that put Philadelphia in front 4-3.
A frustrated Syndergaard screamed into his glove as he exited the mound toward the dugout after the frame.
POWER OUTAGE
A night after the teams tied an NL record by combining for 11 home runs, they connected for just three on Tuesday.
Cespedes picked up where he left off on Monday by putting the Mets ahead 2-0 in the first with a two-run shot to center. Cespedes, one of seven Mets who homered Monday when New York set a club record with eight, is batting .306 with seven homers and 20 RBIs since New York acquired him on July 31.
NOT WRIGHT'S NIGHT
David Wright went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his second game back after missing most of the season with a hamstring and back injury. Wright homered on Monday in his first at-bat since April 14.
WHIFF'S AWAY
The Phillies set a season high with 16 strikeouts.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: Cespedes hit a sharp foul off his foot in the seventh inning and went down in a heap at home plate. He eventually bounced up, but fouled the next pitch off his right knee on a bounce before striking out. He stayed in the game.
Phillies: 3B Maikel Franco (left wrist fracture), on the DL since Aug. 12, took ground balls prior to the game. No timetable has been set on Franco's return.
UP NEXT
Mets RHP Bartolo Colon (10-11, 4.90) opposes Phillies RHP Jerad Eickhoff (1-0, 0.00) in the third game of the four-game set on Wednesday night. Colon is 1-7 with a 5.54 ERA over his last 11 starters since June 18 but is 3-1 with a 3.96 in four career starts at Citizens Bank Park. Eickhoff, acquired in the trade that sent Cole Hamels to Texas, was impressive in his major league debut last Friday at Miami. He earned the win in the 7-1 victory by pitching six scoreless innings of five-hit ball with five strikeouts and one walk.
