NEW YORK (AP) - The Mets had runners at second and third with none out in the fifth inning and came up empty. Only fitting on a night when they wasted chances in just about every way possible.
New York left 15 on base and lost 3-2 in 11 innings to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday in a game full of missed opportunities.
“You’ve got the infield back; they’re giving you a run,” manager Terry Collins said about the fifth. “All we had to do was put the ball in play.”
Time after time the Mets failed to get the big hit, going 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.
The Mets returned home after a 2-6 road trip that ended with a three-game sweep in Miami and a 23-inning scoreless streak. They quickly ended the drought on Curtis Granderson’s RBI double in the first but then reverted to their struggling ways until the eighth, when David Wright doubled in the tying run off Antonio Bastardo.
New York loaded the bases in each of the first two innings against Roberto Hernandez. The Mets also put two runners on in three other innings, including the fifth when shortstop Jimmy Rollins’ errant throw on a potential double-play ball put two in scoring position.
But Josh Satin, starting at first base because Lucas Duda was out with a stomach flu, struck out and newcomer Wilmer Flores also was fanned by Hernandez. Travis d’Arnaud then grounded out to end the threat.
“He was amazing, phenomenal,” Phillies outfielder Marlon Byrd said of Hernandez. “That’s what it’s about, picking up your teammates.”
Byrd certainly did that, driving in the go-ahead run in the 11th inning with an opposite-field double down the right field line.
Chase Utley had three hits and scored all the Phillies’ runs, two on singles by Domonic Brown, to help Philadelphia end a four-game skid and beat the Mets for the first time in six meetings.
Carlos Torres (2-2), the seventh Mets pitcher, gave up a one-out double to Utley and intentionally walked Ryan Howard. Byrd, who played for the Mets last season, reached low and away to send a liner inside the foul line.
“He’s got a great mentality for that. He’s always on the positive side and he’s always up there,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. “He’ll grind it out. He’ll grind out a game and that’s what he demonstrates.”
After the big hit by Byrd, the Phillies left the bases loaded in the 11th, only fitting as the teams combined to strand 32 runners on a damp night in a game that took 4 hours, 39 minutes.
Jonathan Papelbon earned his 10th save. Mario Hollands (1-1) got the win.
While the Mets wasted opportunity after opportunity, the Phillies were hardly better in their first game since Toronto swept four from them in a home-and-home interleague series. Philadelphia stranded 17 at Citi Field and couldn’t capitalize on 11 walks - three intentional.
Brown and Utley teamed in the third and fifth against Jenrry Mejia to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead.
Utley led off the third with a double and advanced to third base on Howard’s fly to left field. After a walk to Byrd, Brown fisted a soft liner the opposite way to left to tie it 1-all.
Brown drove in Utley in the fifth with another hit dunked into left field.
Mejia gave up two runs and six hits in 4 2-3 innings. He walked three, hit a batter with a pitch and struck out four.
“He kept the damage to a minimum, even though he had deep pitch counts, even though he had walked some guys,” Collins said. “When he had to he made some pretty good pitches. They did not hit him hard.”
Mets fans got excited in the third when Mejia’s weak fly to left looked as though it had a chance of dropping. Instead, a charging Brown made the catch to leave New York pitchers 0 for 59 this season.
NOTES: Flores went 2 for 5 and left five on base. … The Mets said they plan to call up INF-OF Eric Campbell from Triple-A Las Vegas before Saturday night’s game. … New York Jets QB Geno Smith spoke with 150 students as part of the Mets Citi Kids program, then threw out the ceremonial first pitch. … LSU coach Les Miles talked football with Wright before the game. … Up next: Phillies RHP Kyle Kendrick (0-3, 3.58 ERA) vs. Mets RHP Dillon Gee (3-1, 2.51) on Saturday night.
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