NEW YORK _ Minutes before the first pitch Thursday night, the enormous Citi Field video board showed Noah Syndergaard in the Mets dugout. He pulled a hooded sweatshirt over his head to reveal his No. 34. He adjusted his flowing blond hair under his hat. The fans began to cheer.
Then, 11 of the first 14 pitches he threw zipped at 98 mph or faster. He struck out the first three Phillies hitters. One of the game's most dominant pitchers fired triple-digit fastballs on the corners against a sluggish lineup.
That is why a 6-4 Phillies win could qualify as their best, less than three weeks into the season. Tommy Joseph cracked a double on a 100-mph heater. Maikel Franco ripped a 99-mph fastball to end his hitless streak. The Phillies capitalized on New York's blunders. They did not render Syndergaard human _ he still whiffed 10 and walked none in seven impressive innings _ but they forced him to work.
The Phillies won even when Aaron Nola lasted just five innings. Joely Rodriguez emerged to throw perhaps the team's two best innings of relief all season. He retired all six Mets he faced on 17 pitches, with three strikeouts. The lefty has regained his manager's trust and his own confidence with three straight scoreless outings.
They won with a new closer, too. Hector Neris notched the save with a perfect ninth. Joaquin Benoit, who had two chances as closer, returned to a setup role.
These two teams looked so unequal a week ago at Citizens Bank Park. But, late Thursday night, the Phillies bused home with a series win in Queens.
The Mets were wounded; they lost Lucas Duda and Travis d'Arnaud to injury on Wednesday, then watched slugger Yoenis Cespedes walk with a gimp Thursday that sent him to the clubhouse. Those who remained did not help their ace. Jay Bruce and Asdrubal Cabrera committed two errors that yielded two unearned runs.
Without their two regular corner outfielders, the bottom of the Phillies' lineup dented Syndergaard in the second inning. Aaron Altherr, a late addition to the lineup because Michael Saunders felt sick, singled on a 99-mph fastball. He stole second. He scampered home when Joseph shot a double down the right-field line.
Freddy Galvis put a 100-mph fastball in play, and a routine grounder created chaos when Bruce flipped it to no one at first base. Andrew Knapp, the backup catcher, slashed a first-pitch, 91-mph change-up to left for a double that plated another run.
The Phillies, an inning after appearing helpless, had mounted a three-run lead.
Syndergaard used 114 pitches in seven innings. The Phillies, before Thursday, led the majors with an average of 4.06 pitches per plate appearance this season. They were 27th last season, at 3.81 pitches per plate appearance. The patience has not yet translated to a proficient offense. But on Thursday, it challenged Syndergaard.
"Our hitting isn't the greatest," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before the win. "Hopefully it will kind of even out to where we will see more pitches, we'll be more disciplined hitters, we'll work the count better. To me, a big part of it now is we are getting pitches to hit and we're not taking advantage of it. That's the way I see it."
Joseph, whose slump rivaled Franco's, raised his batting average by 49 points with three hits. Franco doubled, homered and walked. He was 0 for his previous 22 before he scorched double, which sailed over Cespedes' head in the third inning to score the Phillies' fourth run.
Conclusions are not wise after 14 baseball games, and definitely not after one impressive inning from a pitcher. The Phillies, for 3 hours and 14 minutes, proved just that.
