[caption id="attachment_283" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Scott Hairston muscles up against Phillies pitching for a career-high 5 RBI's in the Mets 11-2 win Saturday Afternoon"]
[/caption]
The Mets exploded for seven runs against Cole Hamels, and added four more against the bullpen to draw their three game series against Philadelphia even, with their 11-2 victory Saturday afternoon.
Scott Hairston was the biggest part of the Mets offensive explosion as he hit a career-high five RBI’s, three of them on his towering homerun into the second deck in left field during the seventh inning. Hairston, who filled in for a flu-ridden Carlos Beltran, added two doubles and another run scored to finish the afternoon for the Mets.
Hairston seemed to be the most logical choice to replace the All-Star Beltran, as he came into the afternoon hitting .353 with three homeruns in his career against Hamels. He answered the call in the very first inning when he scored after doubling, once Daniel Murphy’s popup fell in front of Phillie first baseman Ryan Howard.
Murphy also had a big day. His leadoff homerun to the bullpens beyond the right field wall in the fifth gave the Mets a three run lead, which signaled the beginning of the end for Phillies’ All-Star Hamels.
Hamels could not finish the inning after the homerun. He promptly gave up a single to Jason Bay, before retiring Ronny Paulino on a fly-out to center field. Nick Evans came up next and smashed a triple over the head of right fielder Ben Francisco. Hamels was yanked after the triple, but Ruben Tejada added an RBI single off of David Herndon out of the Phillie bullpen.
With Tejada’s run-scoring base hit, Hamels finished the afternoon allowing seven earned runs, on just 4 1/3 innings of work at Citi Field.
On the mound for the Mets was their curveball-throwing left-hander Jon Niese. He picked up his ninth win, with his 12th quality start of 2011. His only blemishes came in the seventh, when the Phillies put up two runs on Niese as he started to show signs of tiring.
With their offensive explosion, the Mets made up a full game against the Phillies in the division, but more importantly they made up a half-game against the Braves in the Wild-Card race. If the Braves lose, the Mets will have made up a full game, but if they win, the Mets will remain at 8.5 games behind the Braves.
In tomorrow’s series finale, the Mets will put Mike Pelfrey on the mound. The offense will try and win the series against the Phillies’ Kyle Kendrick
Game Notes:
Ruben Tejada committed two errors in today's game giving him six through 50 games in 2011.
According to a team website report, David Wright played five innings at third base in his first rehab game with Port St. Lucie. He was 1 for 2 with a double and a run scored at the plate.
Mets manager Terry Collins told the New York Post yesterday, that Jason Isringhausen would be the Mets closer against the Phillies. Collins also mentioned to the Post that the Mets would use a closer-by-committee approach for the immediate future. Isringhausen has yet to pitch in a save situation in the series.
Back to the New York Mets Newsfeed