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Santana, Delgado help Mets double up Phillies

Sep 8, 2008 - 4:03 AM By Doug Mittler PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- The New York Mets can breathe a little easier thanks to Johan Santana and Carlos Delgado.

Santana pitched 7 1/3 strong innings and Delgado homered twice and drove in four runs as the Mets held on to sole possession of first place in the National League East with a 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday in the second game of a day-night doubleheader.

The Mets were in desperate need of a big effort from Santana and an offensive boost from anyone after the Phillies won the opener of the doubleheader, 6-2, on Sunday afternoon. Santana delivered on the mound and Delgado provided the pop, giving the first-place Mets (80-63) a two-game cushion over the Phillies (78-65) in the division.

"This was a bigger series for them than for us, but if we hadn't won a game, it would have been a pretty big setback for us," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said.

Ryan Howard belted his 40th homer and drove in both runs for the Phillies, who limited the Mets to two runs in winning the first two games of the three-game series.

After squandering a seven-game lead in the NL East to the Phillies with 17 to play last season, the Mets are bound to hear footsteps. Santana (13-7), who was pitching on "Johan Santana Bobblehead Night", put the Mets more at ease, allowing two runs and five hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

"I felt pretty good. I knew I had to step it up and I felt good throughout the whole game," Santana said. "This is definitely one of the reasons I'm here, to step up to the challenge."

Delgado hit a solo homer in the bottom of the third and followed two innings later with a 460-foot solo blast over the back of the Mets' bullpen in right field to increase the lead to 5-2. It was Delgado's sixth multi-homer game of the season and 48th of his career.

Booed repeatedly earlier in the season after a lackluster start, Delgado, who has 33 homers, continued his second-half revival and heard chants of "M-V-P" when he came to the plate in the seventh.

"I still have the same swing, still have the same stance. Nothing drastic," Delgado said of the difference between earlier in the season and now. "We think we're as good as anyone, we think we're the team to beat. What happened last year won't happen again."

Delgado also reached the 100-RBI mark for the ninth time in his career.

Santana left after allowing a one-out double to Jayson Werth in the seventh. Pedro Feliciano and Brian Stokes each recorded an out in the eighth. Luis Ayala allowed a run in the ninth, extending the scoreless streak of the Mets' bullpen to 23 innings.

Cole Hamels (13-8) suffered his first loss in exactly a month, allowing five runs - four earned - and nine hits in five innings.

"I wasn't able to do my part," Hamels said.

The Mets jumped on Hamels for three runs in the first.

Ryan Church singled with one out and David Wright reached on a catcher's inference call on Chris Coste. That prompted a vehement argument from manager Charlie Manuel, who was ejected for the fourth time this season.

Carlos Beltran sliced a single to left field bring in the first run and Delgado grounded a two-run single up the middle to give the Mets a 3-1 lead.

"That (catcher's interference call) was a huge play. It surprised me when Wright looked back. I was confused," Coste said. "It's the most embarrassing thing for a catcher. You take that out of the equation and it's a whole new game."

Howard sliced a home run to opposite field in the third to cut the deficit to 3-2, making him the first Phillie to hit 40 homers in three straight seasons.