Jose Reyes is a hot dog but he is a very talented player as well. Reyes led off the game with a triple off of Phillies starter Jamie Moyer and scored on a single by Damien Easley. Easley scored the second run of the initial Mets at bat as Fernando Tatis singled him in. The Phillies put two runners on with one out in their half of the first but Mets starter Pedro Martinez struck out Ryan Howard on three pitches and then also k’d Shane Victorino. Damien Easley extended the New York lead in the second inning as he belted a solo home run to left center field with two outs.
The Mets busted the game open in the third inning as Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado got back to back singles and then Fernando Tatis belted a three run home run. Tatis skipped across the plate when he crossed it, someone is gonna get this hot dog somewhere down the road, not wise to show up opponents! The key to the Mets success against Moyer was the approach, they laid off pitches out of the zone and forced Moyer to come in when behind in the count and then pounded him. Even Pedro Martinez got a hit in his second at bat! Moyer gave up six earned runs and nine hits in the three innings he worked. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the Phillies third at bat.
Damien Easley tripled to lead off the Mets fourth and scored the seventh New York run when David Wright grounded out to second base. Despite being down six runs the Phillies did not play the infield in and conceded the run. The Phillies scored a run in the bottom of the fourth as Pedro Feliz hit a sacrifice fly to center field to knock in Victorino.
Relief pitcher Clay Condrey started the Phillies fifth as he doubled down the left field line, it was Condrey’s first career extra base hit and only his third hit ever! Jimmy Rollins then belted a Martinez hanging curve into the right field seats to plate two for the Fightins. Chase Utley followed by drawing a walk, Ryan Howard then hit a bomb to left field to score Utley ahead of him and make the count 7 to 5.
The Mets loaded the bases in the sixth inning with one out but Scott Eyre was able to get Carlos Delgado to ground into a double play without allowing a score! The two teams had already played for 2 and 1/2 hours by the middle of the sixth inning! Pedro was pulled after five as Mets skipper Jerry Manuel went to his bullpen, first call Brian Stokes. Jimmy Rollins singled with two outs in the sixth inning which marked the ninth consecutive plate appearance where he reached base!
Stokes threw two shutout innings for New York and was replaced by Duaner Sanchez in the eighth. Sanchez only got one out before yielding a single to Carlos Ruiz and was lifted in favor of Pedro Feliciano. Chris Coste greeted Feliciano with a single and Jimmy Rollins then singled to right field to score Ruiz. Nobody booed Rollins as he reached base for the 10th consecutive time going 5 for 5 in the contest! Feliciano did strike out Chase Utley with runners on first and third to temporarily keep the Phillies at bay. Jerry Manuel then brought in Joe Smith to face Pat Burrell. Smith got Burrell to fly out to left field to end the inning.
Brad Lidge pitched the ninth and buzzed Fernando Tatis with a fastball before striking him out on two low and away sliders. Message served. Eric Bruntlett smoked a pinch hit double with two outs in the Phillies ninth and scored Jayson Werth who had singled earlier in the inning to tie the game! The Mets bullpen once again blew a save opportunity! Jose Reyes saved a ninth inning loss for the Mets by making a diving stop on a grounder up the middle to throw out Ruiz and send the contest to extra frames.
This was a great game to watch but I thought it would never end! As the stroke of midnight came and wenth the two teams had played over five hours! Shane Victorino led off the 13th inning with a triple down the right field line to force the Mets hand. They walked the next two hitters to load the bases. Brett Myers was used as a pinch hitter for Rudy Seanez and was obviously told to not swing as he watched six pitches in striking out. Chris Coste smoked a liner to center, his fourth hit of the game to score Victorino with the game winner !
Chatter
The Phillies offense struggles with pitchers who feature off speed pitches as their primary, Pedro at one point in the game sat down seven consecutive hitters spotting an 84 to 88 mph fastball but mostly working on changeups. Jimmy Rollins was the only Phillie to solve him early as he had two hits in his first two at bats. Pedro had five strikouts thru three innings and never broke 90 mph! They did get to him in the fifth as they forced him to come up in the zone by laying off pitches and putting him in fastball counts. Both these teams can hit but it sure is a chess match as to how!
The game was once again sold out, the 44th time this season which ties a Phillies club record. Carlos Ruiz made his major league debut at third base in the ninth inning as the Phillies saved Eric Bruntlett to pinch hit in the home ninth, made Charlie look like a genius, Bruntlett then played third base in the extra innings! The Phillies carry twelve pitchers on the roster and many times are caught short with position players in late innings.
