Mets' outfielder Jay Bruce collected a pair of homers in the win, including a two-run shot in the eighth that broke a tie and ultimately sealed the victory.
Velasquez was cruising along, having retired 13 of 15 batters before surrendering a two-out single in the sixth to Asdrubal Cabrera. He then walked Yoenis Cespedes before Bruce launches his first homer of the night.
"He's an aggressive hitter," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "First-pitch fastball, middle of the plate, right in his hot zone, a good hitter's not going to miss those pitches. That's how you lose games."
"There's a lot of positives out of this," Velasquez added. "Big adjustment. Big adjustment. I'm happy with my performance, but that should have been eliminated. That shouldn't have happened."
The Phillies made things interesting in the ninth as Freddy Galvis launched a one-out triple and eventually scored to bring the game to within a run before Mets' closer Addison Reed finally shut the door.
Batting Woes Continue
Maikel Franco finished the night hitless and is riding an 0-for-21 skid, the longest of his career. He grounded out in the fifth, leaving the bases loaded and struck out in the eight with one out and a runner on third.
Tonight
Aaron Nola has pitched extremely well over his first two starts of the season for the Phillies, having walked just two and collected 13 strikeouts over 11 innings pitched. He'll be opposed by Noah Syndergaard who too has pitched well, but was forced to leave two outings early due to finger issues.
Following tonight, the Phillies come back to Citizens Bank Park and open a three-game set with the Atlanta Braves.
Tonight's Phillies Lineup
Hernandez 2B
Nava LF
Herrera CF
Franco 3B
Saunders RF
Joseph 1B
Galvis SS
Knapp C
Nola SP
______________________________________________________
Follow Patrick on Twitter: @PGordonPBR
