The New York Mets lose again to the Philadelphia Phillies and look to avoid the sweep

The New York Mets lost to the Philadelphia Phillies by the score of 9-4 on Saturday afternoon. The game took place at Citi Field in Flushing, New York. Shaun Marcum started for the first time this season for the Mets and was just ok. Robert Carson was terrible in relief David Wright led the Mets offense. 
Marcum pitched four innings giving up three runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out three and took the loss. Carson pitched an inning giving up four hits and five runs with a walk and a strikeout, LaTroy Hawkins pitched two innings giving up two hits and an unearned run. He struck out a batter and Scott Rice pitched two innings giving up a hit and a walk with two strikeouts.

Mike Baxter had a hit, Ruben Tejada had a hit and drew a walk and Wright had two hits and an RBI. Lucas Duda had a hit, John Buck had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk and Ike Davis had a hit and an RBI. Jordany Valdespin had a hit and an RBI, Davis, Valdespin, Tejada and Wright each hit a double. Buck hit a homerun and the Mets were 2-9 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base. Baxter committed an error.

Jonathan Pettibone picked up his first win of the season pitching five innings and giving up seven hits and three runs. He walked two and struck out four. Raul Valdes pitched two perfect innings with two strikeouts, Chad Durbin pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout and Jeremy Horst pitched an inning giving up a hit and a run.

Jimmy Rollins had two hits, Chase Utley had a hit and an RBI and Michael Young had three hits and drew a walk. Ryan Howard had a hit and two RBI, Domonic Brown had two hits and three RBI and John Mayberry had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk. Lance Nix had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk, Pettibone had a hit and Utley and Rollins each hit a double. Brown and Mayberry each hit a homerun and the Phillies were 5-11 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. Mayberry was caught stealing.

Valdespin hit an RBI double in the second to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. In the third Utley hit an RBI double and another run scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-1 Phillies. Howard hit a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 3-1. Davis hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth to cut the lead to 3-2. In the fifth Howard hit an RBI single, Brown hit a three run homerun and Mayberry hit a solo homerun to make it 8-2 Phillies. Wright hit an RBI double in the fifth to make it a 8-3 game in favor of the Phillies. Nix hit an RBI single in the seventh to make it an 9-3 game and Buck hit a solo homerun in the ninth to make it 9-4.

The Mets record fell to 10-12 on the season and the Phillies are 11-14. The two teams will play the rubber game of the three game series on Sunday afternoon.