NEW YORK (AP) - This time around, it didn’t take long for Ben Lively to figure out one of the top pitchers in the majors.
The Phillies rookie homered and drove in four runs off New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom, and also threw seven strong innings to lead Philadelphia to a 9-1 win Tuesday night.
“It’s awesome, you know? Not just for me hitting, it’s for the team,” Lively said. “Give us a lead and let’s go. Bear down and let’s keep pitching.”
A day after falling behind the Mets 10-0 by the fourth inning, it was the Phillies’ turn to answer back.
DeGrom (14-9) struck out the side in the first, but wound up allowing a career-worst nine runs - six of them earned - and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings. He was 6-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his first 10 career starts against Philadelphia.
“Well, any time Jake is pitching, he loses it, it’s a surprise,” Mets manger Terry Collins said. “He normally doesn’t do that.”
Lively’s sixth major league start came June 30 against deGrom. The Mets won 2-1 and deGrom fanned Lively twice on seven pitches.
In the rematch, Lively hit a 2-0 pitch for a two-run single in the second that made it 3-1. The 25-year-old righty (3-5), who homered in his last start while beating Miami, hit a two-run drive on a first-pitch slider in a six-run fourth.
“The last game, I couldn’t even see his fastball or his slider,” Lively said. “He threw me all fastballs, so I picked up the slider. Pitch was up. I’ve thrown those pitches, too.”
Said deGrom: “I don’t even know where it was at. Hit it out the park. Just terrible.”
Lively is 6 for 21 (.286) with two home runs and eight RBIs in his first major league season.
The last Phillies pitcher with four or more RBIs in a game was Cliff Lee, who drove in four on Sept. 16, 2013, against Miami. Randy Wolf was the last Philadelphia pitcher with at least eight RBIs in a single season, when he also had eight in 2004.
Lively allowed one run and four hits.
“I’ve said it over and over that Lively’s my favorite player,” Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. “As I said before the game, he’s just a battler. He’s a true competitor. He wants to win. He wants to be good. And he goes right after hitters.”
Odubel Herrera extended his hitting streak to 19 games and Nick Williams drove in three runs for Philadelphia. Highly touted Phillies prospect J.P. Crawford got a hit in his first big league game.
After Travis d’Arnaud hit an RBI double in the Mets first, it was all Phillies.
SIDELINED CAPTAIN
Mets general manager Sandy Alderson could not put an exact timetable on how long it would take 3B David Wright to play again after the 34-year-old underwent season-ending surgery to repair his right rotator cuff. “We don’t expect this shoulder surgery is going to be a significant deterrent to his rehab, but we just don’t have a specific recovery time at this point,” Alderson said. Wright has not played in the majors since May 2016, a month before he had surgery for a herniated disk in his neck. … Alderson said All-Star OF Michael Conforto could be back on the field by March or perhaps sooner depending how quick he can recuperate. Conforto, who got hurt while swinging at a pitch on Aug. 24, is set to undergo surgery Wednesday in Los Angeles to repair a tear in the posterior capsule in his left shoulder.
WELCOME
Crawford went 1 for 5 and played third base. The 16th overall pick in the 2013 draft was promoted from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, a day after its season ended. In 127 games, Crawford hit .243, 15 homers and drove in 63 runs. A shortstop by trade, the 22-year-old felt just fine at the hot corner, assisting on the last two outs of the game.
“I like third base. I like anywhere, just to be on the field,” Crawford said. “But third base, I like it. A lot of reaction. I was ready.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: SS Amed Rosario (right index finger contusion) missed his third straight game. … INF Wilmer Flores was out for his third straight game after suffering a broken nose on a ball he fouled Saturday night. … LHP Josh Edgin had arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Mets RHP Matt Harvey (4-4, 5.97) had been set to start on three days’ rest in the series finale, but manager Terry Collins said after the game that the former ace would not pitch. Collins said the Mets reconsidered because of expected bad weather. Nick Pivetta (5-9, 6.28) is lined up to start for the Phils.
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