NEW YORK - Six consecutive balls to begin Justin De Fratus' outing on Monday prompted a visit to the mound by Bob McClure. The Phillies' pitching coach reminded the 27-year-old reliever that he was one pitch away from inducing a ground-ball double play.
Three pitches later, De Fratus saw the fastball he aimed "down and away" smacked over Citi Field's left-field fence. Wilmer Flores' three-run home run in the sixth broke open the Memorial Day matinee, a 6-3 win by the New York Mets.
"It was tough to find the strike zone today," De Fratus said. "It was just a freak day.