The Phils losing streak end at eight games as the offense explodes to score nine runs in the first four innings, as they defeat the Mets, 9-4.

The Phils took the lead in the first as, with one man on, and with one man out, Hunter Pence hits a two-run home run, his twenty-first home run of the season and his tenth as a Phil, knocking in Jimmy Rollins, who had started the game off with a single, giving the Phils a 2-0 lead. Three batters later, with runners on second and third, and with still one man out, Raul Ibanez hits a sacrifice fly, knocking in Ryan Howard, who had earlier singled, then stopped at third on Shane Victorino’s double, giving the Phils a 3-0 lead. The Phils added to their lead in the second as, with one man on, and with two men out, Chase Utley hits an RBI single, scoring Carlos Ruiz, who had earlier singled, then moved up to second base on Roy Halladay’s sacrifice bunt, 3-4, before going to third on Rollins’ ground out, 4-3, giving the Phils a 4-0 lead. The Phils then made it a 5-0 lead in the third as, with one man on, and with two men out, Placido Polanco hits an RBI double, knocking in Ibanez, who had just singled. The Phils tried to add to their lead two batters later, after Ruiz is intentionally walked, when Halladay hits a single to right, and Juan Samuel decided to send Polanco home. Polanco is easily cut down by a strong one-hop throw by right fielder Mike Baxter, as catcher Ronny Paulino blocked the plate before tagging out a sliding Polanco. The Phils then made it a 6-0 lead in the fourth as, with two men on, and with nobody out, Pence hits an RBI single, knocking in Rollins, who had earlier singled, then stole second base, while sending Utley, who had earlier walked, on to third base. The Phils then took a 7-0 lead as Howard hits an RBI single, scoring Utley, while sending Pence on to second base. Three batters later, now with the bases loaded, after Ibanez is hit by a pitch, moving up a base both Pence and Howard, before John Mayberry, Jr. is sent in to pitch run for Howard on second base, and now with two men out, the Phils made it a 9-0 lead as Ruiz hits a two-run single, scoring both Pence and Mayberry, Jr., while sending Ibanez up to second base. The Mets threaten to  get on the scoreboard in the sixth as, with the bases loaded, via a walk to Jason Pridie, a single by Jose Reyes, sending Pridie to third base, and a walk to Willie Harris, moving Reyes up to second base, and with two men out, before Halladay finally ended the threat by getting Nick Evans to strike out, swinging. The Mets finally got on the board in the seventh as, with one man on, and with one man out, Paulino hits a two-run home run, his second home run of the year, scoring Baxter, who had earlier walked, making it a 9-2 Phils’ lead. Two batters later, after Pridie had reached base with a triple, the Mets made it a 9-3 Phils’ lead as pinch hitter Valentino Pascucci hits an RBI single, scoring Pridie. The Mets then made it a 9-4 Phils’ lead in the eighth as, with one man on, and with nobody out, Justin Turner hits an RBI double, scoring Evans, who had just singled. That would end up being the final score as Ryan Madson threw a scoreless ninth, as he got Turner to fly out to center for the game’s final out.

Roy Halladay (19-6, 2.35) gets the win as he pitched six shutout innings, giving up just four hits and a walk, while striking out three. Antonio Bastardo pitched one-third of an inning, giving up three runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out one. Vance Worley pitched an inning and two-thirds, giving up a run on two hits and a walk, while striking out three. Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless inning, giving up two hits, while striking out one. Mike Pelfrey (7-13, 4.74) took the lost as he lasted only three innings, giving up five runs on nine hits and a walk, while striking out one. D. J. Carrasco pitched an inning, giving up four runs on four hits and a walk, while striking out two. Dale Thayer, Ryota Igarashi, Pedro Beato and Josh Stinson combined for five scoreless innings, giving up six hits (Thayer (3), Igarashi (1), Beato (1), Stinson (1)) and two walks (Igarashi (1), Stinson (1)), while striking out three (Thayer (2), Stinson (1)) between them.

The Phils had nineteen hits in the ballgame, with Carlos Ruiz leading the team with four hits, all singles, as he knocked in two runs. Jimmy Rollins (Singles) and Hunter Pence (Single, Triple, Home Run, 3 RBIs) followed with three hits each. Ryan Howard (Singles, RBI) and John Mayberry, Jr. (Singles), were next with two hits apiece. Chase Utley (Single), Shane Victorino (Double), Raul Ibanez (Single, RBI), Placido Polanco (Single, RBI) and Roy Halladay (Single), had the other five Phils’ hits, as all of the starters had at least one hit in the game.

The Phils (99-60, 1st) will start their last three-games series of the regular season with the Braves (89-70, 2nd) with a night game tonight. The game will be played at Turner Field and is in progress.