 allowed two runs and six hits, inducing three double-play grounders. The veteran righty has pitched like the guy who won the 2015 NL Cy Young Award with the Cubs. He's thrown at least seven innings in three straight starts and has a 2.25 ERA after going 10-11 with a 3.96 ERA in his first season in Philadelphia last year.''He has a different mindset,'' Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. ''He understands everybody is looking to him for leadership and he's taken the bull by the horns.'' The Phillies, off to an 11-6 start, are counting on Arrieta, especially since All-Star Aaron Nola is struggling and Nick Pivetta was demoted to the minors after opening the season as the No. 2 starter.''I feel good and I've been able to spin the ball well,'' Arrieta said. ''The timing of my delivery now is really good.'' Zack Wheeler (1-2) gave up three runs and five hits in seven innings.Arrieta took the mound to start the ninth aiming for his first complete game since tossing a no-hitter on April 21, 2016, against Cincinnati. But he exited after Pete Alonso reached on an infield single that glanced off Arrieta to begin the inning.Adam Morgan entered and hit Robinson Cano in the back with a fastball. After Morgan retired Michael Conforto on a fly to right, Neris struck out J. D. Davis. But Amed Rosario reached on an infield single that drove in a run and Neris hit pinch-hitter Wilson Ramos near his left elbow to load the bases.With the crowd standing and cheering, Neris then struck out Broxton and pumped his fist jumping off the mound in celebration.Maikel Franco's sacrifice fly in the second gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead.Kingery hit an opposite-field drive out to right-center for his second homer in two games to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead in the fifth.Hernandez drove his second homer into the right-field seats in the sixth to make it 3-0.Conforto connected in the seventh, launching his fifth homer inside the right-field foul pole to cut it to 3-1. He has 16 homers and 46 RBIs in only 51 career games against the Phillies.''We had opportunities all game and didn't come up with enough runs,'' Conforto said. ''We have to do more. We have to put it all together.'' SERIES MATTERSThe Phillies have lost the season series to the Mets seven straight seasons, but took two out of three to start this year. The teams meet again in New York next week.BRYCE'S STREAKBryce Harper was 0 for 3 but also walked, extending his streak to 17 games reaching base safely.ROSTER MOVESMets: RHP Jacob Rhame was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. RHP Drew Gagnon was optioned after tossing 5 1/3 innings in relief in Tuesday night's 14-3 loss.Phillies: INF Phil Gosselin was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Pivetta was optioned after posting an 8.35 ERA in four starts. Jerad Eickhoff will take Pivetta's spot in the rotation.TRAINER'S ROOMMets: INF Jed Lowrie will start taking live batting practice at the team's spring complex in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Lowrie has been sidelined by a left knee sprain. ... OF Brandon Nimmo wasn't in the lineup after leaving with neck stiffness Tuesday night. .... RHP Jacob deGrom, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, has strep throat and his next start will be pushed back from Friday to Saturday.Phillies: CF Odubel Herrera left the game with a cramp in his left hamstring after making a running catch in the fifth inning. ... SS Jean Segura wasn't in the lineup after exiting with left hamstring tightness Tuesday night. ... RHP Tommy Hunter was moved to the 60-day injury list. Hunter has been sidelined by right forearm strain since spring training.UP NEXTMets: After an off day, Jason Vargas (1-0, 14.21 ERA) will start the opener of a three-game set at St. Louis on Friday.Phillies: RHP Zach Eflin (2-1, 3.94) pitches the opener of a four-game series in Colorado on Thursday. Eflin has allowed 15 runs in 14 2/3 innings in three career starts against the Rockies.---More MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Kingery on fire as Phillies seek series win over Mets Scott Kingery will look to continue his torrid hitting when the host Philadelphia Phillies attempt to win the three-game series against the New York Mets on Wednesday.Since starting the season 0-for-4, Kingery is now a scorching 11-for-17.In Tuesday's 14-3 win, Kingery had three hits, a three-run home run and a career-high five RBIs. The 14 runs scored by the Phillies were a season high."I think just knowing a routine every day for me, I'm coming into the game with a lot of confidence," Kingery told NBC Sports Philadelphia. "Seeing these pitchers at least one time last year gives me confidence." Kingery, who can play numerous positions, may receive even more playing time since shortstop Jean Segura left Tuesday's game with a strained left hamstring.Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said that Segura will be re-evaluated Wednesday.Kingery, in just his second season, continues to prove his mettle."His bat is flying through the zone," Kapler said of Kingery. "He's got a lot of confidence." Jake Arrieta will start for the Phillies as he looks to stay sharp. Arrieta, who's 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in three starts, won his 100th career game last Friday at Miami after allowing just five hits and one run in seven innings."Accomplishing something like I did tonight makes you appreciate everything you go through -- a lot of ups and downs and figuring some things out, forgetting some things, relearning them," Arrieta told reporters after the win over Miami. "This game is very humbling and I'll never forget that." Arrieta is 2-3 with a 2.34 ERA in 10 career outings against the Mets.The Mets will turn to starter Zack Wheeler, who owns a 1-1 record and 7.47 ERA in three starts this season. In Wheeler's last start, he gave up six hits and two runs in a 6-2 victory at Atlanta."I was actually watching a video of last year and watching myself," Wheeler told reporters after his last start. "I noticed I was a lot slower out of the windup. I got a stopwatch and tried it. I was way faster so I slowed myself down and was more consistent." Wheeler is 3-0 with a 3.96 ERA lifetime in Philadelphia and 4-1 with a 3.36 ERA in 10 total starts against the Phillies.Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo left Tuesday's game in the first inning with what the team called a stiff neck. Nimmo told reporters after the game that his neck "locked up" and he expected to be held out of the lineup on Wednesday.Another concern for the Mets has to be the taxed bullpen, which actually did a solid job after starter Steven Matz faced eight batters and failed to record one out in Tuesday's loss.Drew Gagnon pitched 5 1/3 innings and Paul Sewald threw 2 2/3 innings in relief. Gagnon threw 97 pitches and became the first Mets pitcher to throw more than five innings of relief since Shaun Marcum pitched the 13th through the 20th innings in Miami in 2013."Drew Gagnon and Paul Sewald should be commended," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. "They did their best, and saved us, and probably helped us win a game in the next few days. It was unbelievable." --Field Level Media
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