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  Thursday, Sep. 21 7:05pm ET
Philadelphia 6, New York 5
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- First, the Philadelphia Phillies made sure Omar Daal avoided his 20th loss. Then, after making sure he did not end his seven-game losing streak, they pulled out a 6-5 victory over the New York Mets.

On the verge of becoming the major leagues' first 20-game loser in two decades, Daal again pitched well enough to win, giving up one run and six hits over six innings with four walks and two strikeouts.

For a change, the Phillies gave him some support, building a 5-1 lead before Daal turned things over to the bullpen. But Wayne Gomes struggled with his control in the Mets' two-run seventh and closer Jeff Brantley (2-7) coughed up the lead -- and Daal's shot at his first win since August 8 -- in the ninth.

"We won the game, and that's what is important," Daal said. "I really don't care about my record. (Losing 20) never entered my mind. I just did my job, and that's what I care about."

Philadelphia ended up adding to New York's September troubles in the bottom of the ninth. Doug Glanville led off with a single against the struggling Rick White (2-3). Bobby Abreu doubled off the wall in left-center field and Scott Rolen was intentionally walked.

Rookie Pat Burrell continued his remarkable hitting with the bases loaded, singling to the warning track in left to plate Glanville with the winning run. Burrell is 8-for-11 with 20 RBI with the bases jammed. He hit a grand slam off Mets closer Armando Benitez to finish off a 10-5 win at New York on June 21.

"The biggest thing for me is I know I'm going to get something to hit," Burrell said. "I seem to be more focused in that situation. It's a situation all of us love to be in, there with the game on the line. You pretty much just try to make contact. That's why we all play the game."

"I was trying to get (the pitch) to Burrell in on his hands and it just came down too low. It didn't stay up. That's right where he likes the ball," said White, who has been scored upon in five of his last nine appearances. "I don't think I'd change anything if I had to do it again. They beat me with my best pitch and before I knew it, it was over with."

After getting swept by lowly Pittsburgh, the Phillies defeated the Mets for the third time in four meetings this month.

New York has lost four of its last five and fell 4 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the National League East. The Mets have a five-game lead over surging Los Angeles in the wild card race.

"No matter what happened tonight, we're five games up with nine to play. We're in the driver's seat," said Mets catcher Todd Pratt. "The pressure's on everybody behind us. Think about it."

Aided by second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo's error, the Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the second on Tom Prince's RBI forceout. It was the first run Philadelphia has scored with Daal on the mound in 23 innings, spanning four starts.

Abreu homered off starter Rick Reed in the third and Travis Lee led off the bottom of the fourth with his first home run as a Phillie, making it 3-0.

Rookie Jay Payton's 16th homer got the Mets on the board in the fifth, but Reed's errant pickoff attempt in the sixth allowed Burrell to score and Prince doubled in Tomas Perez for a 5-1 cushion.

Gomes walked three in the seventh as New York started its rally. After Gomes loaded the bases, Vicente Padilla walked Benny Agbayani to force in a run and pinch-hitter Mike Piazza delivered an RBI single.

In the top of the ninth, Todd Zeile homered with one out off Brantley, who gave up a two-out single to pinch-hitter Lenny Harris. After throwing two strikes to pinch-hitter Robin Ventura, Brantley gave up an RBI double that tied it.

 


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