9/21 Recap: Wright Homers Again In 5-4 Rain-Shortened Victory; Mets Take Second Straight In Philadelphia

The visiting New York Mets and Phillies engaged in Game Two of their weekend series this evening.  The pitching match-up featured Dillon Gee for the Mets, who brought an 11-10 record and 3.47 ERA into the game.  Prior to tonight’s start, Dillon Gee, 27, pitched six innings or more in each of his last fifteen appearances.  His mound opponent was Tyler Cloyd, who was making only his sixteenth major league start.  Cloyd, 26, entered Saturday’s game with a 2-5 record and 5.06 earned run average.

Sep 21, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; A Philadelphia Phillies fan watches the game in the rain during the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Phillies began Saturday with a two game advantage over the Mets in the battle for third place.  After Friday’s loss, the Phillies dropped eleven games below .500, to a 71-82 record, while the Mets improved to fifteen games below .500, with a 69-84 record.

Coach Terry submitted the following line-up to face right-handed Tyler Cloyd: LF-Eric Young; 2B-Daniel Murphy; 3B-David Wright; 1B-Lucas Duda; CF-Juan Lagares; RF-Matt den Dekker; C-Travis d’Arnaud; SS-Omar Quintanilla; SP-Dillon Gee.

THE GAME:

Tyler Cloyd’s first pitch of the evening was a fastball to Eric Young for strike one, and game #154 was underway, albeit under the threat of looming rain.

Left fielder Domonic Brown stroked the game’s first hit with one out in the second.  Brown was running on a pitch to first baseman Darin Ruf, who grounded to Omar Quintanilla, who in turn threw wide of first base, as Ruf reached safely just beyond Lucas Duda’s tag.  Domonic Brown made it all the way to third on the play.  Third baseman Cody Asche then lifted a somewhat shallow fly to Juan Lagares in center.  Brown tagged on the play and was deemed safe at home despite a good throw and apparent tag applied by Travis d’Arnaud.  Terry Collins instantly emerged from the dugout to argue.  A replay on SNY-TV showed how wrong the rookie home plate umpire really was to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead.

Omar Quintanilla lined the Mets first base hit up the middle with one out in the third, then promptly stole second base.  He was however, stranded.  The Mets finally broke through off Tyler Cloyd in the top of the fourth.  With one out, David Wright deposited a baseball in almost the same location he hit Friday night’s home run – in the second row of the right field seats.

By the top of the fifth inning, light rain was falling steadily at Citizen’s Bank Ballpark.

Through five full innings, the game became official, as the Mets and Phillies remained tied at one.  Dillon allowed the one run on five hits, walked none and struck out three.  He was up to an efficient sixty-one pitches for the game, which averaged to twelve pitches per inning.  Forty-three went for strikes, for an effective rate of seventy percent.

Leading off the top of the sixth inning, Daniel Murphy crushed a solo home run, his twelfth of the season, off the second deck in right field to give the Mets their first lead of the night.  Next, David Wright singled and Lucas Duda was hit by a pitch.  Juan Lagares then stepped in, and drove a liner to straight away center field, one bounce off the wall for a stand-up, two RBI triple.  That drove Philly starter Tyler Cloyd from the game.  Manager Ryne Sandberg summoned Ethan Martin from the bullpen.  With no outs and rain falling quite heavily, Matt den Dekker fanned.  Travis d’Arnaud followed by stroking an RBI double off the right field wall to score Juan Lagares from third base with the Mets fifth run of the game.  That run was charged to Tyler Cloyd.  Omar Quintanilla drew a walk to keep the inning going, and moved to second on a called balk.  In Dillon Gee’s third fruitless at-bat of the evening, he struck out swinging on four pitches.  Eric Young came up with two runners in scoring position and two outs, and stranded them by also striking out, but not before the Mets picked up four runs, and took a 5-1 lead.

• Tyler Cloyd – In 5.0 innings pitched, he allowed five earned runs on six hits, walked two, struck out five, and surrendered two home runs.

Dillon Gee climbed the hill in the sixth inning for the sixteenth consecutive time this season.  But lead-off back to back doubles by center fielder Cesar Hernandez and Jimmy Rollins soon made it a 5-2 game.  Chase Utley then connected on Philadelphia’s third consecutive double to straight away center field, scoring Hernandez, while Jimmy Rollins held up at third.  Still with no outs, catcher Carlos Ruiz grounded out to third, as Rollins scored.  With Utley on third and Domonic Brown at the plate, Dillon Gee bounced a pitch Travis d’Arnaud was unable to handle, allowing Utley to scamper home with Philadelphia’s fourth run of the game.

With the Mets holding on to a 5-4 lead, a pouring rain changed some minds in the top of the seventh.  After David Wright drew a one out walk, the umpires finally decided to get the tarp on the field.  At 9:07pm, the Mets and Phillies went into rain-delay.  For those of us watching at home, we were treated to episodes of Yearbook 1971, 1973 and 1981.

• Dillon Gee – in six full innings pitched, he allowed four earned runs on seven hits, walked none and struck out three.  He was up to eighty-four pitches, which rose his pitches per inning average to fourteen.  Fifty-six of his pitches went for strikes, which reduced his rate of effectiveness to sixty-six percent.

At 10:35pm, word was given through the SNY broadcast, the game would not resume, and was now final.  The Mets win a 5-4 rain-shortened game, and their second straight in Philadelphia.

Dillon Gee was credited with his twelfth victory of the season.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• David Wright’s second home run in two games gives him eighteen for the season.  In two games back, he is 4 for 8, with three runs batted in.

• Juan Lagares – 5th triple of the season.

LOW LIGHTS:

• Dillon Gee’s multiple failures to lay down a successful bunt.

• Matt den Dekker batting sixth – 0 for 3, three strikeouts.

NEXT:

The series concludes at 1:00pm on Sunday.  Carlos Torres will climb the hill for New York, and will be opposed by Philadelphia’s stone face, Cliff Lee.

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