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The Mets dropped the final game of their three game set against Philadelphia, as the Phillies both out-hit and out-pitched the Mets 7-1. Tasked with taking the mound against the lowly Phillies, Rafael Montero started the game well enough, coaxing outs from Daniel Nava and Freddy Galvis. And he struck out Aaron Altherr to end the inning.
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During the second, Montero allowed back to back singles from Tommy Joseph and the newly promoted Nick Williams, followed by an RBI double from Maikel Franco to put the Phillies ahead 2-0. Andrew Knapp singled in Franco, and a wild pitch allowed him to score from second base.
Outside of his rough second inning, Montero was surprisingly decent, or at least just not a disaster. In regular fifth starter fashion, he allowed eight hits, struck out six and walked two in six-and-a-third innings before being relieved in the seventh by Chasen Bradford.
Phillies starter Nick Pivetta, who gave up six runs in his previous start against the Diamondbacks, held a hot Mets lineup in check, striking out four and walking three over six innings. Perhaps more impressive, Pivetta only yielded one hit, a solo home run to T.J. Rivera in the fifth.
Jay Bruce drew a walk against Pivetta to open up the seventh, sending Lucas Duda to the plate. Duda hit a long fly ball, which was bobbled, but ultimately caught by Altherr. Altherr then threw into first to catch Bruce, who had assumed the ball had dropped, to get the double play.
Bradford allowed three additional runs in the eighth inning on singles to Knapp, Brock Stassi, and Daniel Nava. Matt Reynolds hit a two-out single in the eighth inning, but that spelled the end of the offense’s production for the day.
The Mets, now five games under .500, travel to Washington D.C. to battle the division leading rival Nationals. Steven Matz takes the mound against Stephen Strasburg at 6:05 PM.