NEW YORK — For the second consecutive game, strong pitching and Neil Walker's bat proved to be a winning formula for the Mets, propelling them to a 7-2 win over the lowly Phillies in their home opener Friday at Citi Field.
Walker finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and delivered the go-ahead hit in the bottom of the sixth, backing a strong but abbreviated effort by right-hander Jacob deGrom. DeGrom allowed one run on five hits while walking none and striking out six over six innings. DeGrom, who threw only 76 pitches, left the game after experiencing right lat tightness, though the Mets said the early exit was precautionary.
The Mets took advantage of Freddy Galvis' error to seize an early 1-0 lead on deGrom's run-scoring groundout in the bottom of the second, though the Phillies battled back to tie the game on Odubel Herrera's RBI single off deGrom in the top of the sixth.After Lucas Duda doubled to leadoff the bottom half of the inning, Walker restored the Mets' lead with an RBI single up the middle off Jerad Eickoff. Michael Conforto then extended the Mets' advantage to 3-1 with an RBI double down the right-field line.
The Mets' lead surged to 7-1 after they scored four more runs in the seventh off the Phillies' hapless bullpen, which entered the game with a 12.91 ERA over three games. Walker, Conforto and Travis d'Arnaud all chipped in runs in the inning to break the game open for the Mets.
Left-hander Antonio Bastardo, who signed a two-year, $12 million deal with New York this winter, made his Mets debut in the top of the ninth, working around a leadoff single to Darin Ruf to post a clean inning. UNSUNG HERO
Conforto went 2-for-3 with a double an three RBI, tying a career high. He also knocked in three runs on Aug. 3, 2015 at Miami.
STATS TO KNOW
• Walker has driven in five of the Mets' 12 runs this season. Walker also hit a two-run homer against the Kansas City Royals Tuesday to lift the Mets to a 2-0 win.
• Jim Henderson entered the game in the top of the seventh in relief of deGrom and tossed another scoreless inning while striking out two. The 33-year-old right-hander has thrown two clean innings to begin his Mets tenure.
• Lefty specialist Jerry Blevins was summoned with two outs in the top of the eighth and promptly retired Herrera to strand two runners. Batters are 0-for-19 against Blevins during his time with the Mets.
• The Mets announced a sellout of 44,099, the largest regular-season crowd in Citi Field history.
INJURY REPORT
Right-hander Zack Wheeler will undergo a minor surgical procedure to remove a suture knot from his right forearm Tuesday. Wheeler is still expected to rejoin the Mets' rotation in early July.
UP NEXT
The Mets play the second game of their three-game set against the Phillies Saturday night at Citi Field. Bartolo Colon is slated to make his first start of the regular season and face Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET
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