PHILADELPHIA _ Jean Segura and Maikel Franco put the bam in bamboo.
Trailing by two runs in the ninth inning after Hector Neris blew a save, Franco smashed a game-tying, two-run home run and Segura belted a walk-off, three-run shot to give the Phillies a 6-3 victory over the New York Mets on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park.
It marked the Phillies' first four-game sweep of the Mets at home since Aug. 27-30, 2007 and their fourth consecutive victory since infielder Brad Miller bought a good-luck bamboo plant in Chinatown and brought it into the clubhouse to help reverse a seven-game losing skid.
The Phillies rallied on a day when Aaron Nola was brilliant for seven innings, but Neris lost the lead in his third appearance in as many days. And they scored all their runs on homers, as Bryce Harper's solo blast in the sixth inning stood as the lone run of the game until the ninth.
Neris hadn't pitched three days in a row since Sept. 18-20, 2017, when Pete Mackanin was still managing the Phillies. It's doubtful that Gabe Kapler will try it again any time soon.
Neris gave up a one-out, two-run homer to Todd Frazier, then allowed another run to give the Mets a 3-1 lead entering the bottom of the ninth.
But the Phillies' winning rally began with a leadoff walk by Cesar Hernandez. Franco, who hit three homers in 145 plate appearances from April 26 through June 23, hit his third homer in his last 15 plate appearances to tie the game against Mets closer Edwin Diaz.
Sean Rodriguez drew a one-out walk, and Scott Kingery reached on a smash to third base. That brought Segura to the plate, and he delivered his first career walk-off homer.
Until the ninth inning, Nola was the story of the game.
The curveball is more than merely Nola's best pitch. It often serves as a bellwether for how he's going to fare. If it's bending and biting and moving early in a game, opposing hitters probably won't have much chance.
So, when Nola struck out the New York Mets' two best hitters with sweeping curveballs in the first inning Thursday, it was about the best possible sign the Phillies could've gotten.
True to form, Nola was brilliant. He carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and allowed only a single to Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler through seven. He struck out 10 batters, and combined with his performance five days earlier, it seems he might be turning around a disappointing season.
