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Wright stays hot as Mets top Phillies

Apr 20, 2008 - 2:17 AM By Vince DiGregorio PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- For the second consecutive game, David Wright jump-started the New York Mets.

Wright drove in two runs and Jose Reyes added a two-run home run to lead the Mets to their fourth straight win over the Philadelphia Phillies, a 4-2 triumph at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday.

After going 4-for-4 in New York's 6-4 win on Friday, Wright got hits in his first two at-bats Saturday to help the Mets win their fifth in a row overall. Wright had a chance for more RBI in the fifth inning but was robbed on a diving catch by center fielder Jayson Werth.

Wright insisted that the Mets have put last year's late-season collapse to the Phillies behind them.

"Last year is last year," Wright said. "Those guys won the division. They deserved to win the division. That's over with. So far, we played these guys tough in 2008 and that's the important thing."

The Mets' bullpen had to weather another rally by the Phillies before securing the win. Trailing, 4-1, entering the bottom of the eighth, Philadelphia pushed across a run on a single by pinch hitter Carlos Ruiz off Aaron Heilman, New York's third reliever of the inning.

The Phillies still threatened with the bases loaded and one out, but Heilman struck out both pinch hitter Geoff Jenkins and Werth to end the inning.

"(Heilman) did a great job today," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "Aaron is still one of the better relief pitchers in the game. Bullpens are going to be shaky at times. We all understand that. I'm very confident in my guys."

Billy Wagner retired the side in order in the ninth for his fourth save.

"(Heilman) rises to the occasion," Wagner said. "To have to punch out two guys, that was fun to watch. I think a lot of guys can stop talking about the mental side of Aaron, because mentally, he's as tough as anybody I've ever played with."

The game featured a pair of lefthanders facing each other for the second time this season. The Phillies' Jamie Moyer outdueled the Mets' Oliver Perez in a 5-2 win by the Phillies in the Mets' home opener on April 8.

In this matchup, Moyer (1-1) again allowed only two runs but left trailing 2-0. Moyer scattered seven hits over six innings with a walk and a strikeout. In 16 career starts against the Mets, Moyer has pitched at least six innings on each occasion.

"(The Mets) played a good game today," Moyer said. "Mr. Perez pitched pretty well. They did what they had to do. Obviously, the key point was when Aaron Heilman came in the game with the bases loaded and one out. He did his job, unfortunately, and we fell a little short today."

For the second straight time, New York took a first-inning lead. Reyes hit a grounder down the left field line for a double and Ryan Church singled before Wright delivered a two-run, two-base hit to right-center field to make it 2-0.

"When you have a pitcher on the ropes early, you have to make sure to cash in because (Moyer) didn't give up anything else after that," Wright said. "It was good to put up a couple of runs early and allow Oliver to settle in."

After retiring the side in order in the first, Perez labored the rest of the time on the mound. He allowed two baserunners in the second, third and fifth innings but managed to escape trouble each time. Perez got Ryan Howard on a called third strike in the third and a flyout in the fifth.

"You have to be careful with (Howard), because in this stadium, he can hit you," Perez said. "That's why you have to keep pitches down."

Howard is 0-for-9 with five strikeouts in the first two games of the series.

"Not to take anything from those guys, but once I can just start feeling better at the plate, then things will change," Howard said.

Perez (2-0) was lifted in the sixth after walking his second batter of the frame, Eric Bruntlett, during a 14-pitch at-bat to put runners on first and second with two outs. Duaner Sanchez came on and retired pinch hitter Jimmy Rollins on a grounder to end the threat.

"That was something we were lacking early in the season - that killer instinct," Wright said. "To put a team away when we had the opportunity. I think the last couple of games we've done that."

Perez tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and five walks with seven strikeouts.

Reyes belted a two-run homer off Ryan Madson in the seventh to give New York a 4-0 advantage. Chase Utley answered for the Phillies in the bottom half with a solo blast off Scott Schoeneweis.

"In that situation, I'm looking to pull the ball for a base hit," Reyes said. "(It was) a fastball in. I hit a home run, which is even better."