Ruben Tejada hit an inside-the-park homer and drove in four runs to back Matt Harvey as the New York Mets returned to their winning ways against the Philadelphia Phillies with a 9-4 victory Wednesday night.
Yoenis Cespedes and rookie Michael Conforto had conventional home runs for the NL East leaders, who won for the 14th time in 16 games against the last-place Phillies this season. Philadelphia snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Mets with a 14-8 rout Tuesday.
Travis d'Arnaud doubled twice and singled and Cespedes had three hits as well, one night after he homered to stop an 0-for-16 slide.
Handed a 6-0 lead, Harvey (12-7) pitched into the seventh inning and won his fourth straight decision. He was touched up for nine hits, equaling a season high, and four runs but struck out nine and walked only one.
Before the game, Mets manager Terry Collins acknowledged Harvey will likely be skipped in the rotation once more to limit innings during his first season back from Tommy John surgery.
The right-hander improved to 6-1 in eight career starts versus the Phillies, who have lost 25 of 31 against the Mets and dropped nine consecutive series to them since May 2014.
The only bad news for New York was an injury to first baseman Daniel Murphy. He was removed in the fourth with what the team termed "mild discomfort" in his left quadriceps.
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Murphy spent time on the disabled list in June with an injury to the same quad.
Prized rookie Aaron Nola (5-2) of the Phillies was no match for Harvey in the first meeting between two talented pitchers who could be squaring off for years to come. Both right-handers were drafted No. 7 overall, Harvey out of North Carolina in 2010 and Nola from LSU last year.
Making his ninth major league start, Nola gave up nine hits and a career-high six runs in four innings — his shortest outing yet. The 22-year-old righty had won five straight decisions since a 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay in his debut.
With a runner on second and two outs in the second inning, Tejada hit a shallow pop fly down the right-field line. Domonic Brown charged in and reached down but could not make the catch, and the ball bounced by him as he flipped head over heels over a low retaining wall.
Second baseman Cesar Hernandez finally chased down the ball in the corner, and Tejada slid home safely without a relay throw to the plate.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Phillies: When he tumbled over the wall, it was difficult to tell what part of his body Brown landed on. After the play, he climbed back onto the field as a Phillies trainer hustled out to check on him. Brown initially remained in the game, but was removed in the bottom of the fourth due to concerns about a possible concussion. ... Rookie 3B Maikel Franco (broken left wrist) took 20 dry swings and felt soreness in the same spot where he was hit by a pitch Aug. 11. The team might not rush his rehab to get Franco back before the season ends, in part because he plans to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic and can make up missed at-bats there.
Mets: Murphy was on the DL from June 5-29 with a strained left quadriceps. The team said he was pulled Wednesday as a precaution. Murphy and Michael Cuddyer have been filling in at first base for slugger Lucas Duda (lower back), on the DL since Aug. 22. Collins said he thought Duda was scheduled to take some swings Wednesday.
NOTHING BUT NET
One night after UConn women's coach Geno Auriemma threw out the ceremonial first pitch, it was another Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer on the mound at Citi Field. Chris Mullin, set to begin his first season as coach at his alma mater, wore a St. John's cap and No. 20 Mets jersey with his name on the back as he greeted Harvey with two handshakes a tossed a strike from the rubber.
UP NEXT
Phillies: LHP Adam Morgan (5-4) pitches Friday night at Fenway Park against Boston RHP Joe Kelly (8-6).
Mets: After a day off, RHP Jacob deGrom (12-7, 2.32 ERA) goes Friday night in Miami against RHP Tom Koehler (8-13, 4.12). Last season's NL Rookie of the Year is 3-0 with a 1.32 ERA in five career starts against the Marlins.
