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Recker, Mets take series from Phillies

Aug 31, 2014 - 11:47 PM Flushing, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Anthony Recker delivered a key three-run homer and the New York Mets held off the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-5, in the rubber match of a three-game set on Sunday.

Wilmer Flores collected three hits while David Wright, Matt den Dekker and Dilson Herrera each had an RBI for the Mets.

New York grabbed the season series over its I-95 rival, taking 13-of-19 meetings. The Mets haven't beaten the Phillies at least 13 times in one season since 1987.

Dillon Gee (6-6) hurled six innings for the Mets, allowing three runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts.

"I felt pretty good today," said Gee. "I was throwing the curveball today so that was a plus. Like I said, I felt pretty good out there."

A.J. Burnett (7-15) tied his career high for losses in a season. The right- hander was charged with five runs on nine hits while striking out eight through six innings of work.

Domonic Brown had the first four-hit game of his career, finishing a triple shy of the cycle in the setback. Ryan Howard homered and knocked in two runs and Jimmy Rollins went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.

"It's been a grind," said Howard. "This entire year has been a grind. I'm just going out there to do what I can, try and help my team."

After Howard tied the game in the sixth with his 20th homer of the season, the Mets had a pair of runners on in the home half for Recker, who sat on a first- pitch curve from Burnett and drove it over the wall in left for a 5-2 lead.

The Phillies got a run back in the seventh, but squandered an opportunity to get more. Pinch-hitter Freddy Galvis walked which ended Gee's day and Ben Revere greeted reliever Dana Eveland with a single to left. Rollins then stroked an RBI single to left that scored Galvis. Eveland got Utley to pop out before striking out Howard and Grady Sizemore to end the threat.

Brown continued to have a day with a solo shot to the opposite field off Jeurys Familia in the eighth.

New York quelled the Philadelphia surge with an insurance run in the home eighth. Kirk Nieuwenhuis doubled with one out, stole third and Herrera knocked him in -- his first major league RBI -- with a single to center past the drawn-in infield.

Rollins led off the ninth with a single to center, then Jenrry Mejia plunked Chase Utley with an 0-2 pitch to put two on with no outs. Howard grounded into a 4-6-3 double play in the next at-bat, then Sizemore kept the Phillies alive with an RBI knock to right. Mejia got Brown to ground out softly to shortstop for his 21st save of the season.

Both starting pitchers tossed zeros up on the board through three innings until the Phillies tacked one on in the fourth. Rollins led off the inning with an infield single, moved up to second on Utley's groundout and trotted home as Howard yanked a double into the right-field corner for a 1-0 lead.

Sizemore followed with a walk and Brown flicked a single into right to load the bases. Gee limited the damage, though, inducing an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Wil Nieves.

The Mets took the lead in the fifth after Juan Lagares singled with two outs, stole second and scored on den Dekker's double to right. Wright proceeded to drill a fastball up the middle that scored den Dekker for a 2-1 advantage.

Howard tied the game up, however, with a solo shot to right. Sizemore drew another walk and Brown pulled a single into right to put runners at the corners with one out. Nieves had another chance to push a run home, but he struck out preceding Cody Asche's flyout which ended the inning.

Game Notes

With his RBI single in the seventh, Rollins now has 2,300 hits in his career ... Revere became the 12th Phillie in history to record 40 stolen bases in a season ... Howard has eight 20-homer seasons in his career ... New York had lost three of four entering the game ... The Mets, who outscored Philadelphia 94-66 in the season series, also posted 13 wins against the Phils back in 1970, 71 and 72 ... Philadelphia continues its nine-game road trip in Atlanta on Monday ... New York opens a six-game road trip at Miami on Monday.