By BRIAN COSTELLO
Last updated: 7:37 am
July 24, 2008
Posted: 3:22 am
July 24, 2008
As the bullpen gate opened and the sounds of Kirk Hammett's guitar filled the air, order seemed restored at Shea Stadium. Billy Wagner was back.
It was only a one-day absence, but Wagner was missed when his replacements imploded Tuesday night. Last night, his shoulder feeling fine, Wagner closed out a 6-3 Mets victory over the Phillies that moved the Amazin's back into a first-place tie with Philadelphia.
PHOTO GALLERY: Mets Beat Phillies
Jose Reyes' three-run home run in the sixth gave the Mets the winning margin, but it was the sight of the left-handed closer that began healing the wounds of Tuesday night's six-run, ninth-inning meltdown.
This time, the three-run lead would stand up.
Wagner retired the Phillies in order, including beating Shane Victorino to first base for an out. The closer, who turns 37 tomorrow, threw in the outfield and bullpen before the game and felt like he was ready to return.
"Of course you feel it, but I was able to stick with it," Wagner said. "If I can compete, I'll be out there."
The victory put both teams at 54-47, knotted up on top of the division. Jerry Manuel knows it could be this tight until October.
"We'll be there," the interim manager said. "They have a good team. We have a good team."
Reyes got the big hit, clubbing the first pitch he saw from Ryan Madson over the right-field fence. The shortstop was part of the Tuesday night turmoil when he failed to get an out on a grounder from Carlos Ruiz.
As he rounded first base, Reyes was clearly emotional, thrusting his right index finger into the sky and zipping around the bases to the point where he nearly passed Brian Schneider.
"That situation, tie game, you hit a three-run home run there, you've got to enjoy it because it's never easy when you play against the Phillies," Reyes said.
The Mets learned that in the 8-6 loss to open the series. Last night, starter John Maine had one of his better outings of late. He lasted seven innings for the first time since May 7. He gave up three runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Maine had much better control than he did in his last two outings, when he walked a combined 10 hitters.
"I was pitching and I'd try to do something different mechanical, then I'd try to do something different the next pitch," Maine said. "I was too concerned about what was going on, concerned about what I was doing instead of worrying about what the ball was doing, and that hurt me."
Phillies starter Brett Myers made his return from the minor leagues and walked four straight batters in the first inning as the Mets forged a 2-0 lead.
Victorino and Geoff Jenkins clubbed back-to-back homers to right field off Maine in the second to tie the game up, but Maine settled down after that.
The Mets took a 3-2 lead in the third when Jimmy Rollins could not make a play on Damion Easley's infield single and David Wright scored from third. Easley had three infield singles in the game.
Rollins tied the game with a double in the fifth before Reyes gave the Mets the winning margin with his big homer.
Mets 6 Phillies 3
