Mets nail 3 consecutive HRs in sixth, fall to Phillies in 10th

Phillies 6, Mets 3 (10 innings)

NEW YORK (AP) -- Pat Burrell snapped out of a slump by doing what he does best -- breaking the hearts of the New York Mets.

Burrell hit a game-tying home run in the ninth off New York closer Billy Wagner, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins combined for the go-ahead run in the 10th and the Philadelphia Phillies completed a three-game sweep with a 6-3 win Thursday night.

Philadelphia, which started the season 4-11, is five games back of the first-place Mets and a game back of second-place Atlanta in the NL East.

"There's been a lot of hype about this team, the expectations and all, and we haven't lived up to them," Burrell said. "Games like tonight, series like this can carry us on."

Philadelphia swept a three-game set from the Mets for the first time since September 2004.

Carlos Delgado, David Wright and Paul Lo Duca hit consecutive homers off Cole Hamels in the sixth inning to give the Mets a 3-2 lead, and they were three outs away from snapping their first three-game losing streak of the season.

But Burrell hit his 37th career homer against the Mets leading off the ninth against Wagner, his former teammate, to tie it at 3.

"They caught us at a good time," Wagner said.

For Wagner, it snapped a string of 31 consecutive successful save opportunities. For Burrell, who's average had fallen below .220, it was his 17th homer at Shea Stadium.

"It's one of those things," Burrell said. "I can't explain."

Among active players, only Barry Bonds and Chipper Jones have more homers against the Mets than Burrell.

Wagner said Burrell has a "one path swing, and I threw it in it's path."

Rollins, who's been pounding Mets pitching all season, got the winning rally started with a leadoff single against Scott Schoenweis (0-1) in the 10th. Rollins is hitting .406 (13-for-32) against New York. Utley served an opposite field double down the left-field line to score Rollins.

Aaron Rowand followed with an RBI single and Burrell added a run-scoring double.

"I hadn't been doing my part," said Burrell, who was dropped to sixth in the batting order for the first time this season. "It's nice to be able to be a part of it."

Two days ago, Utley's opposite-field homer in the 11th helped the Phillies to a 4-2 win.

"We're playing a lot better baseball at this point," Utley said. "You have to give a lot of credit to our pitching staff. They didn't give up too many runs against a great offensive team."

It was the first time the Mets were swept at Shea Stadium since Washington took three games from Sept. 13-15, 2005.

Rookie Mike Zagurski (1-0) earned his first career victory with a scoreless ninth. Antonio Alfonseca got his fourth save, and third in three nights.

New York has lost four in a row and five of six, scoring three runs or less in all the losses.

"There's no one that's going to be totally out of it in this division," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "We're all going to knock heads with each other, and everybody is going to make their run here and there."

The Mets were again playing with a makeshift outfield, starting rookie Carlos Gomez in right and Ben Johnson in left after placing Endy Chavez on the disabled list before the game. Chavez, usually the Mets fourth outfielder, joined starters Moises Alou (left quad) and Shawn Green (right foot) on the DL.

Mets starter John Maine would've been the beneficiary of New York's power surge. The right-hander allowed six hits and two runs in seven innings and left with the lead.

Phillies starter Cole Hamels was nursing a 2-0 lead when Delgado went deep to right.

Wright followed with a drive to left center that was originally ruled in play. Wright ended up at third, but he quickly started pleading his case to the umpires and pointing to the outfield.

After a quick meeting in the infield, the umpires changed the ruling and waved Wright home. Replays showed the ball did clear the wall, hitting an advertising sign just above the fence.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel came out to argue, and at first was relatively calm. It didn't take long for things to get heated and he was ejected by first base ump and crew chief Jerry Layne.

Lo Duca hit Hamels' next pitch into the left field bleachers for his third home run.

It was the seventh time in Mets history they've hit three straight homers and first since 1989.

Rollins and Howard had given Hamels a 2-0 lead with RBI singles.

Game notes
Wagner's last blown save was Aug. 1 against Florida. ... Darryl Strawberry, Kevin McReynolds and Keith Hernandez were the last Mets to hit back-to-back-to-back homers. They did it against Don Carman of the Phillies.