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Wright drives in four, Mets hang on for win

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:06 AM By Larry Dougherty PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Nothing comes easy for the New York Mets lately.

David Wright homered and drove in four runs, but the Mets nearly blew a huge lead before holding on for a 10-9 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.

The Mets took three of four from Philadelphia, but it was a struggle. Endy Chavez had two RBI for New York, which jumped out to a 10-1 lead and nearly gave it all back.

"We have done that here lately (building a lead) and slowly given it up throughout the course of the game," Wright said. "I think we did a good job of not only jumping out to a lead but continuing to add on."

The Mets (45-44) are just 2 1/2 games behind the Phillies (48-42) for the lead in the National League East.

"Any time you put 10 runs on the board and you feel very confident in your pitching, you expect it to not be that difficult," Mets interim manager Jerry Manuel said. "But we won the game. We won three out of four. We are back in the race."

Wright had a two-run double in the third that put the Mets up, 5-0, and added a solo shot in the sixth that made it 9-1. Starter Pedro Martinez added an RBI single later in the frame for a nine-run lead.

However, the Phillies chipped away as Pat Burrell drilled a solo homer in the sixth, Shane Victorino had an RBI double and Ryan Howard hit a disputed two-run homer in the seventh to cut the lead to 10-5.

Howard hit a ball to deep right field that was interfered with by a fan and initially called a ground-rule double. The umpires converged in the infield and ruled that it was a home run. Manuel argued the call and was ejected.

"It was not a home run, the guy reached over the fence," Manuel said. "It is difficult to get upset if you make it (the call) immediately, but if you make an immediate call, that tells me that you saw it that way. And then not to give me a legitimate reason for overturning it."

The Phillies weren't through as Geoff Jenkins hit his second pinch-hit homer of the season, a two-run shot off Aaron Heilman, to cut the deficit to 10-7 in the eighth.

"We keep battling and keep fighting," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "When you're trying to catch up from a big deficit, it's hard. There's a big difference between a four-run lead and a team that's eight or nine runs ahead of you."

All-Star closer Billy Wagner allowed Victorino's double and a walk to Eric Bruntlett before striking out Howard and Burrell. Pinch hitter Pedro Feliz delivered a single up the middle to score Victorino, and Bruntlett scored on a throwing error by center fielder Carlos Beltran.

Wagner avoided another meltdown by getting Jayson Werth to fly out to right to notch his 20th save in 27 chances. Wagner, who blew the save on Sunday when Werth hit a game-tying, two-run homer in the ninth, got revenge this time.

"You have to play nine full innings against these guys," Wagner said of his former teammates. "These guys are a good team to have to play against. They are a gritty team and this went a long way to show how gritty we are in battling and coming out after losing the first game and finding ways to win three tough games.

"We ran out of game," Howard lamented.

Martinez (3-2) picked up his first win since June 15. He allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking three.

Meanwhile, New York battered Phillies starter Adam Eaton (3-7) for eight runs and 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings.

"If I just give an average (performance), a spilt (of the series) was definitely a possibility," Eaton said of his first career loss against the Mets in six decisions. "I think any time you play a team in your own division, you want at worst to (get) a split. For them to come in here and take three out of four is definitely a low note for us."

Chase Utley hit his National League-leading 25th homer for Philadelphia in the fourth.