The 13th inning becomes a nightmare inning for the Mets as the Phillies would finish coming from behind to defeat the Mets, 8-7. The ballgame would appear to fall into three acts. Act one would involves the Mets knocking out of the box Phillies’ starter Jamie Moyer. The first sign of trouble would appear at the very start of the ballgame as the Mets’ lead off man, Jose Reyes, would start the game off with a triple. Damion Easley would then follow by knocking him in with a RBI single, making the score 1-0 Mets. David Wright would then hit a single, putting Mets’ runners on first and second. Three batters later, after Moyer loads up the bases by hitting Carlos Delgado, and with one out, Fernando Tatis would make it a 2-0 game with a RBI single, scoring Easley and leaving the bases loaded. Moyer would finally end the inning by getting Ryan Church to pop up to him under the Infield Fly Rule and Ramon Castro to ground out. The Phils would try to answer back in their half of the first, as Jimmy Rollins would get a double off of Mets’ starter Pedro Martinez, who would then hit Chase Utley with the pitch, thus putting runners on first and second base with no one out. After Pat Burrell flies out to right, Rollins and Utley would steal third and second on a double steal, putting both men in scoring position. But, that would be where they would stay, as Martinez would get both Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino to strike out. The Mets would then add a run in the second, as, with two men out, Easley would hit his sixth home run of the year, a solo shot, that would make it 4-0 Mets. The Mets would then increase their lead in the third to 6-0, when, with one swing of the bat, Tatis would hit his eleventh home run of the year, a three-run shot that would score Carlos Beltran and Delgado, who have both gotten on base with singles. Moyer would finally get out of the inning as he gives up only one more hit, a single to Martinez, adding insult to his very bad night. Moyer would then be lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the third, as Martinez would put the Phillies down for the second straight inning, although giving up another hit to Rollins. The fourth would bring up Clay Condrey in relief of Moyer, who would then give up the seventh and, what no one at the time knew, would be the final Mets’ run, as, with a man on third, Wright would hit a ground out, second to first, scoring Easley, who has earlier tripled. After Condrey gets out the next two batters, that would bring down the curtain on the first act, with the Phillies trailing 7-0 and the game looking like a laugher for the Mets.

But, the curtain would then rise on the second act and the Phillies’ would surprisingly come back. In the bottom of the fourth, the Phillies would score their first run, when, with one out, Pedro Feliz would knock in Victorino, who has reached base on a force out of Howard, who has walked, stole second and then went to third on Jayson Werth’s single, on a sacrifice fly, making it 7-1 Mets. Then in the fifth, the Phillies would close the gap as, with a runner on second, and no outs, Rollins would hit a two-run home run, his ninth home run of the year, knocking in Condrey, who has earlier doubled, making it 7-3 Mets. Three batters later, with a man on first and one out, Howard would hit a two-run home run of his own, his thirty-fifth home run of the year, scoring Utley, who has earlier walked, to make it a 7-5 Mets’ lead. The Mets would try to increase their lead in the sixth, as they load the bases via two singles (Reyes and Easley) and a hit batter (Beltran), with only one out. But Condrey would dig in his heels and end the threat by getting Delgado to hit into a 6-4-3 double play. The Phillies would have their own threat in the sixth, as, with two out, Rollins and Utley would both reach base on singles, with Rollins going to third on Utley’s hit. But, sadly, the inning would end with Burrell, who would end up leaving eighteen men on base in two straight games, striking out. The Phillies would make it closer in the eighth, as, with two men on, and one out, Rollins would hit a RBI single, scoring Carlos Ruiz, who has earlier singled, and sending Chis Coste, who has also singled, to third. Utley would then strike out for the inning’s second out. After Rollins steals second to put two men in scoring position, Burrell would end the inning by flying out to left. Then, in the ninth, after Brad Lidge puts down the Mets 1-2-3 in the top of the inning, the Phillies would go to work on Mets’ reliever Luis Ayala, who the Mets were using as their closer in placed of the injured Billy Wagner. The inning would start off with Howard flying out to center field for out number one. Victorino would then ground out, short to first, for out number two. Werth would then get on base with a single. Pinch hitter Eric Bruntlett would then follow with a pinch hit double, scoring Werth, and tying the game up at 7 all, to the surprise of the Mets, who are probably now seeing the return of the nightmare of last September in their dreams. Ayala would finally end the inning by getting Ruiz to ground out, short to first, with a throw from Reyes that barely beat out Ruiz, which could’ve otherwise ended the game right there as Weth was running non-stop from second base with the potential winning run. The game would now go into its third act, extra-innings.

After Ryan Madson puts down the Mets in the top of the tenth, the Phillies would try to win the game in their half of the tenth. Coste would lead off the inning with a double. Instead of walking Rollins, who at this point has been five for five on the night, eight for his last eight, and been on base tenth straight times, Mets’ reliever Aaron Heilman would get him to fly out to left for the inning’s first out. Utley is then intentionally walked to put runners on first and second. Burrell would then come to the plate, and strike out looking for the inning’s second out. Howard would then end the threat by grounding out to first. In the eleventh, the Phillies would threaten again on Heilman. With one out, Werth would work a walk. Bruntlett would then single, putting two men on base with still one out. Pinch hitter Cole Hamels would then strike out for the second out. Coste would then single, loading up the bases. But Heilman would end this threat by getting Rollins to pop up to third. Neither team would be able to do anything in the twelfth inning. Then, in the thirteenth, with the Phillies down to their last relief pitcher and with tonight’s starter Kyle Kendrick warming up in the pen if needed, Rudy Seanez would put down the Mets’ 1-2-3. Then they would go to work on the last Mets’ reliever Scott Schoeneweis. Victorino would greet him with a triple to right. Schoeneweis would then intentionally walk both Werth and Bruntlett to load the bases, to face Seanez. Instead, pitcher Brett Myers would be sent out as a pinch hitter, with what turns out to be orders not to swing. Which he did, as he almost worked out a walk but would be instead called out on strikes on a 3-2 fastball on the inside corner. This would bring up Coste. After taking a ball, Coste, with both the infield and outfield in to try and prevent the winning run from scoring, would loft a fly ball deep to center, that would go past center fielder Beltran, who has already given up the chase, and drop in for a single in front of the warning track, scoring Victorino with the winning run, as the Phillies would finish the ballgame with a very dramatic, come from behind 8-7 win over a stunned New York ballclub, as they regain first place in the East.

Jamie Moyer would get a no-decision as his record of good outings end at fourteen straight, as he is only able to go three innings, giving up six earned runs on nine hits and a hit batter. Clay Condrey would pitch two and a third innings, giving up a run on three hits and a hit batter. Scott Eyre, Chad Durbin, Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson and J.C. Romero would all combine for six and two-thirds innings of scoreless ball, as they shut down the Mets’ offense, giving up only two hits (Madson), three walks (Durbin (2), Romero (1)) and striking out four (Eyre (1), Lidge (2), Romero (1)). Rudy Seanez would get the win as he pitches a 1-2-3 inning. His record is now 5-3 with a 3.38 ERA. Pedro Martinez would also receive a no-decison as he goes five innings, giving up five earned runs on seven hits, two walks and a hit batter, while striking out eight. Brian Stokes would pitch two scoreless innings, giving up only two hits and striking out two. Duaner Sanchez would pitch a third of an inning, giving up an earned run on one hit. Pedro Feliciano would also pitch a third of an inning, giving up no runs on two hits, with a strike out. Joe Smith would also go a third of an inning, giving up no runs or hits. Luis Ayala would receive his fifth blown save of the year, as he gives up an earned run on two hits. Aaron Heilman would pitch three tough scoreless innings, giving up three hits and walking two while striking out four. Scott Schoeneweis would get the lost as he goes a third of an inning, giving up an earned run on two hits and two walks while striking out one. His record is now 2-3 with a ERA of 3.10.

The Phillies’ offense, after being put in a deep 7-0 hole would come back, slow chipping away at the Mets’ lead before finally winning it in the thirteenth, while the bullpen would combine to keep the Mets from scoring another run after David Wright’s ground out RBI scoring Damion Easley in the fourth. The offense, in its comback, would get nineteen hits, with Jimmy Rollins leading the way with five hits, missing the cycle for the second straight night as he has three singles, a double and a home run, scoring a run and knocking in three. Chris Coste would be next, as he was 4 for 4 after coming off the bench, getting three singles, including the game winner, and a double, followed by Jason Werth, as he went 3 for 5, along with two walks, as he scored a run. All of the starters would contribute at least one hit, except for Pedro Feliz, who would go 0 for 2 with a sac fly before being replaced by Greg Dobbs in the sixth in a double switch, and Pat Burrell who went 0 for 7, leaving ten men on base and eighteen runners in two days. Of their nineteen hits, seven would be for extra-bases (2B (4), 3B (1), HR (2)), with one of them being a double by pitcher Clay Condrey, which would start off the rally in the fifth inning. The Phillies would also steal six bases, with Rollins leading the way there with three. The Phillies seems to have regain their swagger from last year, and it would seem that they have finally found their leader: Shane Victorino, based on his reaction to getting his triple at the start of the thirteenth inning.

The now first place Phillies (73-59), back in first place, and for the first time fourteen games over .500, will faced the now second place Mets (73-60), looking to see if they can sweep the now stunned New Yorkers and end the very successful home stand at 8-1. The game will be played at Citizens Bank Park and will start at 7:05 pm  Eastern. The Phillies’ starter will be Kyle Kendrick (11-7, 4.87), who is coming off a victory against the Dodgers on August 22, as he went five and two-thirds innings, giving up only one earned run on three hits, in the Phillies’ 8-1 win. In his last start against the Mets on July 6, he received a no-decision, as he gave up only one earned run on eight scattered hits, in the Phillies’ 4-2 lost. Careerwise, he is 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA in three starts against the Mets. His mission will be two fold, to get through as many innings as he can to give the bullpen a sorely needed rest after last night’s game and to keep the Mets’ offense as silent as possible so that the resurgent Phillies’ offense can work over the Mets’ pitching staff. The Mets will counter with their ace Johan Santana (12-7, 2.64), who is coming off a win over the Astros on August 22, where he went seven innings, giving up no runs on eight hits, in the Mets’ 3-0 win. He has won his last three starts. In his last two starts against the Phillies, he has thrown two no-decisions, as the Mets’ bullpen would lose both games, as he would go a combine sixteen innings, giving up only four earned runs on fourteen hits. Santana’s mission will be trying to keep the Phillies’ bats quiet while hoping the Mets’ will score enough runs so that the bullpen won’t be able to blow it this time.

The once again first place Phillies lead the presently shocked Mets by half a game, as they won their fifth game in a row, and the ninth in their last eleven games since being swept by the Dodgers. The Marlins trail the Phillies by six as they lost to the Braves. The Phillies will be trying to increase their lead over the Mets before they head off to Chicago to meet the Major League leading Cubs for four games.