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Beltran's mistake leads to another Phillies' win over Mets

Sep 15, 2007 - 10:48 PM By Doug Mittler PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- Carlos Beltran took one false step in and the Philadelphia Phillies took another notable step forward in the National League East race.

Jimmy Rollins hit a line drive to center field that was misplayed by Beltran into a two-run triple in the eighth inning as the Phillies waited out a strong effort by Pedro Martinez to rally for a 5-3 victory on Saturday.

Aaron Rowand had tied the game at 3-3 with a home run in the eighth for the Phillies (79-69), who defeated the Mets (83-64) for the seventh straight time and moved within 4 1/2 games of first-place New York in the National League East.

"As long as you're breathin' you're livin'," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said of the division race.

The Phillies also trail San Diego by one game in the wild card race, with the Padres hosting the San Francisco Giants later.

Rowand connected on his career high-tying 24th home run off Pedro Feliciano, who struck out Chase Utley, Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard consecutively with the tying run at second base in the seventh.

Jorge Sosa (9-7) relieved in the eighth and walked pinch hitter Wes Helms before Jayson Werth sacrificed. Pinch hitter Pete Laforest walked one out later before Rollins lined a pitch to straight-away center field.

"When it came off the bat, I thought it was right at him," Rollins said. "Then it took off."

Beltran took a few steps in before realizing his mistake and retreated, making a last-ditch stab at the ball as it sailed over his head and all the way to the wall for a two-run triple that put the Phillies in front, 5-3.

"I took one step forward and that was it," Beltran said. "It was a bad read. After I took that step it was over my head."

It was the second straight game the Mets made a crucial late-inning mistake. In Friday's 3-2 win, Mets catcher Mike DiFelice dropped a pop fly that prolonged an at-bat and led to the go-ahead run for the Phillies in the 10th inning.

It was the second time that Beltran had a mistake in judgement in the field, backing up on fly ball by Utley in the first inning before watching it drop in front of him for a single.

Just like in the eighth, Beltran's mistake proved costly, as Utley later scored on a single by Rowand to record the only run off Martinez.

Philadelphia's Antonio Alfonseca (5-1), currently appealing a four-game suspension for throwing at Colorado's Todd Helton, pitched a scoreless seventh for the win.

Brett Myers, the sixth Phillies pitcher, worked out of some trouble in the ninth to collect his 17th save and second in as many days.

After striking out Marlon Anderson looking on a questionably outside pitch that got the utility player ejected for arguing with home plate umpire Dan Iassogna, Myers flirted with danger by walking Jose Reyes.

Reyes stole second base and Luis Castillo reached on an bouncing infield single that the shortstop Rollins could only field. However, Myers struck out David Wright and got Beltran to fly out to right field to seal the win.

The Phillies overcame a franchise record-tying six stolen bases by the Mets. Reyes had two of the steals, but he also ran the Mets out of a rally in the sixth when he was thrown out at third for the final out of the inning.

"It was not a good play there, but most of the time I get a good jump and I'm successful there," Reyes said.

Martinez had his third straight strong outing in his return from rotator cuff surgery, striking out nine without walking a batter over six innings. Over 98 pitches, the Mets righthander allowed one run and seven hits, but four were bloop singles and another was an infield hit.

"Even when you see base hits, bloops or whatever, that means I'm making the pitches I want to into the location I wanted," Martinez said.

Trailing 3-1, the Phillies closed their deficit early in the seventh against Feliciano, as pinch hitter Tadahito Iguchi doubled leading off the frame and scored directly after on an error by first baseman Shawn Green.

Phillies starter Kyle Lohse allowing three runs and seven hits in five innings and was not unnerved by the Mets running wild on the bases.

"I didn't have near the stuff I did in the last couple of games, but I kept it close," Lohse said. "They were trying to disrupt my rhythm."

The Mets stole four bases in the third and scored twice to make it 3-1. Luis Castillo singled, stole second and scored on a single by Beltran, who then stole second and third. Green also stole a base in the inning that included a run-scoring single by Paul Lo Duca.

The Mets stole four bases in an inning for just the third time in franchise history and the first time since May 27, 1970 against St. Louis. Overall, they finished with six thefts to tie a team mark.

The Mets loaded the bases with no outs in the second, but settled for one run when Lohse hit Lastings Milledge with a pitch.

Moises Alou had an infield single in the second to extend his hitting streak to 19 games, the longest by a Met this season.