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Wright, Mets nip Phils

Sep 24, 2011 - 9:50 PM Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - R.A. Dickey pitched seven strong innings to give the New York Mets a 2-1 win over the struggling Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a doubleheader.

Since winning the National League East, the Phillies have been slumping as the team has dropped seven straight games while scoring just 13 runs during that time. It is their first seven-game losing streak since dropping seven straight from June 20-28, 2006.

"We definitely have to get things back on track," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. "We hit a few balls hard today, but not enough and that has to get better."

Dickey was able to continue the Phillies' frustration as he held the team to three hits and a run with one walk and four strikeouts. He didn't get the win, though, as it was grabbed by Bobby Parnell (4-6) for getting the final out of the eighth inning.

"I think that I have had a pretty good year," said Dickey. "Obviously you can't control everything and I had some bad starts, but I think that the things that I could control I did a good job of."

David Wright drove in the winning run while Valentino Pascucci hit a solo home run for the Mets, who have won their past two games.

Ryan Howard, playing for the first time since last Saturday, drove in the lone run for the Phillies, who got a four-hit, one-run performance over seven innings from starter Cole Hamels.

The doubleheader was made necessary due to last night's rainout in the opener.

In the eighth inning, the Mets took the lead off Brad Lidge (0-2). With one out, Ruben Tejada hit a single and promptly stole second. Wright then punched a double just fair down the left-field line for a 2-1 lead.

Manny Acosta got the first two batters out in the ninth before a single from Raul Ibanez and a walk to John Mayberry put the tying run in scoring position. Carlos Ruiz, though, flied out to give Acosta his third save of the season.

The two pitchers were dazzling as neither allowed a run through the first six innings, with Dickey carrying a perfect game into the sixth.

After walking Ruiz in the sixth, Dickey still had a no-hitter into the seventh, but Shane Victorino smoked a one-out double into left field and Howard followed with a single for a 1-0 lead.

Hamels had been nearly as sharp, allowing just three walks and three hits through the first six innings, but gave up the lead in the seventh when Pascucci hit a pinch-hit home run over the left field wall.

Game Notes

Pascucci had not played in the big leagues since 2004 until he pinch-hit on September 8. It is just his third career home run and first since October 2, 2004 when he was with the Montreal Expos...The Phils have been held to three runs or less in 14 of their past 16 games...Philadelphia fell to 39-28 against the NL East this season while the Mets improved to 32-38...Philly has won 10 of the 16 games with the Mets this season.