Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets

Segura, Nola lead surging Phils past Mets, tighten NL East

Bryce Harper drove in two runs to help Philadelphia win its fourth in a row and pull within one game of division-leading Atlanta.

The Phillies had lost eight of 11 prior to their current streak.

“It’s a resilient group that has found a way to bounce back,” Phillies manager Joe Girardi said. “Just keep playing well, worry about ourselves and we’ll go from there.”

The Mets lost their fifth straight and tied a season high by falling five games under .500. New York is 5 1/2 games behind Atlanta and seven games in back of St. Louis for the second NL wild-card spot.

“We want to win, that’s why we’re here,” Mets manager Luis Rojas said. “It’s another tough loss and a chance at our division, but there are (still) chances. You can’t hang your heads just yet.”

Segura homered in the first inning and again in the third off Carlos Carrasco (1-3) for his sixth career two-homer game and first since Sept. 26, 2016, when he went deep twice for the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Washington Nationals.

The 31-year-old is hitting .325 with four homers in 11 games against the Mets this season and is a career .361 hitter at Citi Field with four homers and 13 RBI in 22 games.

“I see the ball really good when we play these guys,” Segura said.

Nola (8-8), who was 0-2 with a 5.10 ERA since his previous win July 25, allowed four hits and walked one with nine strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

“For myself, it’s gone up and down, but I throw that away,” Nola said. “We’re in a race right now. Any way I can help and go out, do my job as best I can is what I’m going to do.”

Nola carried a shutout into the sixth, when Brandon Nimmo tripled with one out and scored on Francisco Lindor’s grounder. He was pulled after walking Pete Alonso and Jose Alvarado struck out Michael Conforto on three pitches.

“I thought he pitched an outstanding game,” Girardi said of Nola. “I just thought he was running out of gas.”

Brad Miller and Freddy Galvis greeted Brad Hand with back-to-back doubles in the seventh. Harper hit a two-run, two-out double off Trevor May to extend the lead to 5-1.

Dominic Smith had a pinch-hit RBI single in the Mets seventh. Nimmo homered leading off the eighth.

Ian Kennedy threw a perfect ninth to earn his 24th save.

Carrasco allowed two runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in six innings. He likely would have pitched the seventh but fouled a pitch off his thumb while batting in the fifth.

“I couldn’t hold the ball,” Carrasco said. “That’s why they took me out.”

IF AT FIRST …

Despite giving up the home run to Segura, Carrasco’s first-inning ERA this season actually dropped from 15.00 to 14.40. His career first-inning ERA is 4.44 — up from 3.92 prior to 2021.

THRICE AS NICE

Nimmo’s triple was the Mets’ second in three games, their fifth of the month and eighth since Aug. 16, when Alonso tripled to end a major league-record 68-game streak without a triple. The Mets have 14 triples this season, tying the 1999 club for the franchise record for the fewest three-baggers in a full season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: Girardi said LF Andrew McCutchen had the wind knocked out of him while making a diving catch to rob Jeff McNeil of a hit in the seventh. McCutchen remained in the game after being visited by Girardi and a trainer before being pulled for pinch-runner Mickey Moniak after drawing a walk in the eighth.

Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard (Tommy John surgery) is scheduled to throw batting practice Sunday. It will be his second time facing live batters since his rehab was interrupted by a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. … RHP Jacob deGrom (elbow) threw off the mid-slope Saturday but still has no timetable to face batters.

UP NEXT

Phillies: RHP Kyle Gibson (10-7, 3.49 ERA) is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in three starts this month.

Mets: LHP Rich Hill (6-7, 3.88 ERA) is looking for his first win since being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays July 23. Hill is 0-3 with a 3.88 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) for the Mets.

How can I watch Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets?

• TV Channel: Phillies at Mets 2022 MLB Baseball, is broadcasted on MLB.tv.
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