Mets 11, Phillies 3
NEW YORK -- Daniel Murphy went 4-for-5 with two RBI and Carlos Torres allowed one run over 6 2/3 solid innings Thursday afternoon as the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 11-3.
The Mets (60-72) earned a split of the four-game series and finished a nine-game homestand at 3-6. They entered Thursday with just 18 runs in the homestand.
The Mets scored once in the third and twice in the fourth against Phillies starter Ethan Martin before piling on a trio of relievers with a run in the fifth, two in the sixth, four in the seventh and one more in the eighth.
The four-hit game was the fourth of the season for Murphy and the 10th of his career. He grounded out in the seventh in pursuit of his first-ever five-hit game.
Anthony Recker, playing on his 30th birthday, hit a two-run homer in the fourth and scored three runs. Eric Young was 3-for-5 with a three-run triple and two runs scored while Andrew Brown was 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBI.
Torres, who moved back into the rotation this week when ace Matt Harvey was lost for the season due to a tear in his right elbow, carried a shutout into the seventh in the second-longest start of his career. He gave up four hits and walked none while striking out six.
The start was the longest for Torres since he went seven shutout innings for the Chicago White Sox in his third career start on Sept. 3, 2009.
Roger Bernadina hit a two-run homer into the upper deck in right field for the Phillies (61-73), who, even with the loss, have won eight of their last 12. Chase Utley and Domonic Brown each had two hits.
Martin allowed three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out a career-high nine over four innings.
Martin struck out five straight batters between the first and third before Young singled and scored on Murphy's double.
In the fourth, Justin Turner drew a leadoff walk and scored on Recker's one-out homer to left.
Murphy was credited with a double leading off the fifth when right fielder Darin Ruf lost his fly ball in the sun. Brown followed with an RBI single.
In the sixth, Recker drew a leadoff walk, went to second on a sacrifice by Torres, took third on Young's infield single and scored on a balk by Cesar Jimenez. Murphy followed with his fourth hit, an RBI single that brought home Young.
Young's triple capped a sixth inning in which the Mets scored four runs via two hits, two walks and a hit batsman. Brown led off the eighth with a solo homer. He has two homers and 10 RBI in just 37 at-bats this month.
NOTES: 3B David Wright was scheduled to fly to the Mets' spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Thursday afternoon to continue his rehab from the right hamstring strain he suffered on Aug. 2. Wright is still not running at full speed and said doctors told him it was a six-week injury, which means he likely won't be back with the Mets until mid-September. ... The Kingsport Mets, the club's rookie-level affiliate in the Appalachian League, clinched their first playoff berth since 1996 by beating Bluefield on Wednesday. ... Brown returned to the Phillies lineup after missing four straight starts due to a sore right Achilles. ... Rookie 3B Cody Asche didn't play for the Phillies, one day after he suffered a strain/cramp in his right hamstring while running to first base on a single.
