The Phillies took care of business again on Saturday, extending their winning streak to seven games with a 5-3 victory over the Mets at Citizens Bank Park.
The seven-game winning streak is the Phillies' longest since 2012. The win also increased the Phils' lead over the Mets to 1 1/2 games in the National League East.
“This group, I know you guys get tired of hearing me say it, they're resilient,” manager Joe Girardi said. “We've lost two in a row and bounced back, and that's exactly what they've done. It's been fantastic and it's come from so many different places.”
Brad Miller led the offense, hitting a pair of solo homers while Odubel Herrera hit a three-run blast to the second deck to highlight a four-run fifth inning.
Ranger Suarez was on a pitch count, but tossed 2 2/3 scoreless frames to open the contest. J.D. Hammer followed with his longest outing in the Majors, hurling 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief while collecting three strikeouts.
The Mets were held scoreless until the ninth when reliever Mauricio Llovera surrendered three consecutive solo homers. Ian Kennedy shut the door though with a pair of strikeouts to collect his first save with the Phillies.
The crowd of 37,057 made it feel like a postseason atmosphere in South Philadelphia.
“It feels really good to play when the stadium is filled like this,” Herrera said through a translator. “That's very exciting; it's good vibes, good atmosphere. It's great to play in an environment like that.”
The two clubs conclude their three-game set on Sunday. Zack Wheeler will take the hill for the Phillies. The Mets will counter with righty Taijuan Walker.
