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Utley, Brown power Phillies past Mets

Apr 11, 2013 - 6:22 AM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Chase Utley had a two-run homer and Domonic Brown's three-run shot capped a big first inning, as the Philadelphia Phillies outlasted the New York Mets, 7-3, to take the rubber match of a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park.

Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Michael Young each had two hits and a run scored, helping the Phillies capture their first series win of the season. Laynce Nix added a two-run homer in the victory.

"These last four or five games, we've been going out there and just swinging," said Howard. "Keep going out there, swinging and putting the ball in play, good things happen."

Although he frequently had to work his way out of trouble, Kyle Kendrick (1-1) was much better than his first start of the season. He tossed six innings of two-run ball while allowing eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts.

For the second straight night, the Mets only got three innings of work out of their starter. Jeremy Hefner (0-2) was tagged for five runs on six hits with three walks as New York dropped a second straight game.

"In a lineup that can hit homers, you can't make a lot of mistakes, and we made them the last two nights," Mets managers Terry Collins said.

Lucas Duda hit two solo homers and John Buck had a solo shot as well for New York, which had won the previous three series between the teams held in Philadelphia. Duda and Jordany Valdespin each had three hits in the setback.

The Phillies jumped all over Mets starter Dillon Gee early on Tuesday, and wasted no time in pounding Hefner for five runs in the first inning.

Hefner had struggled mightily against Philadelphia in his most recent outing, a start last September in which he gave up seven runs without recording an out. Utley put him in a familiar hole when he delivered a two-run blast over the center-field wall.

Howard then singled, Young drew a walk and Brown's towering shot reached the second tier of the upper deck in right for a 5-0 Philadelphia lead.

Buck got New York on the board in the second inning with a solo homer, his fifth of the season. Hefner had a chance to help his own cause when the Mets later loaded the bases, but he struck out looking. Valdespin then took a called strike three after a lengthy at-bat, ending the inning.

Duda provided a solo homer in the fourth to make it 5-2 just before the contest was suspended for a 27-minute rain delay.

The Mets squandered an opportunity in the fifth when Daniel Murphy was doubled up at second on an Ike Davis shallow fly ball. The Mets had runners on second and third with one out after a wild pitch from Kendrick.

Philadelphia pulled away for good in the sixth, when Nix pinch-hit for Kendrick and delivered a two-run homer off Mets reliever LaTroy Hawkins. The blast to center gave the Phillies a five-run cushion at 7-2.

Another solo homer from Duda in the eighth accounted for the final margin.

Game Notes

The Mets set a new club record by hitting a home run in each of their first nine games ... With his fifth homer, Buck has matched the total amount of home runs hit by Mets catchers last season ... The Phillies had four home runs over their first seven games before hitting six in the last two games of this series ... Philadelphia center fielder Ben Revere was caught stealing in the first. The Phillies were 10-for-10 on stolen base attempts prior.