PHILADELPHIA — Shane Victorino hit a grand slam off Johan Santana and Chase Utley had a two-run shot during Philadelphia’s nine-run fourth inning, helping the Phillies pound the Mets 11-5 on Sunday night.
Santana (3-2) allowed a career-worst 10 runs in 3 2-3 innings. The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner allowed four homers – and one crucial bases-loaded walk.
Holding a 5-3 lead in the fourth, Santana issued a two-out walk to Phillies starter Jamie Moyer. Victorino followed with the grand slam and Utley went deep two batters later. Nine straight batters reached in the inning.
Placido Polanco and Ryan Howard also homered for the Phillies, who won two of three against the Mets.
David Wright hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Rod Barajas added a two-run shot in the fourth but Moyer (3-2) survived the shaky start to last six innings. He also worked the count and had one of the best at-bats of the season for the Phillies.
Raul Ibanez hit a two-out RBI single, Juan Castro singled and Carlos Ruiz walked before Moyer came to the plate in the fourth. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel decided to leave his starter in instead of calling for a pinch hitter.
Smart move.
Santana, who had walked only nine batters in his first five starts, fell behind 2-0 to his counterpart. When the count hit 3-1, the 51st straight sellout crowd stood and erupted in wild cheers like it was any of the last three Octobers in Philadelphia.
Moyer fouled a pitch, and the seventh-largest crowd in park history was going wild.
Pitching from the windup, Santana threw a fastball inside that sent Moyer to first and cut the lead to 5-4.
Four balls to the pitcher made all the difference.
Victorino made Santana pay with his second career grand slam – shades of Game 2 of the 2008 NL division series when Victorino hit a grand slam after pitcher Brett Myers worked a walk against Milwaukee’s CC Sabathia.
Polanco singled to right before Utley connected for his seventh homer of the season and an 11-5 lead. That chased Santana in easily his shortest outing of the season. His ERA skyrocketed from 2.08 to 4.50.
Santana’s worst previous outing was a nine-run effort over three innings against the Yankees on June 14, 2009.
It’s only May, but the Phillies did move into a tie for first with the Mets in the NL East. The three-game series was more slugfest than early-season epic showdown: The Mets won 9-1 in the opener Friday; Roy Halladay tossed a shutout in Philadelphia’s 10-0 win Saturday.
Both teams had their bats going early. Wright hit his fifth homer and Barajas – who has crushed the Phillies since leaving the team – made it 5-2 with his sixth of the season.
Polanco snapped an 0-for-12 funk (a 7-for-52 slide overall) with a solo shot and Howard went the other way on a 1-2 pitch in the first to make it 3-2. Howard fell a triple shy of the cycle.
Moyer has alternated wins and losses in all five starts and has pitched exactly six innings in each of them. Not great, but not bad for a 47-year-old left-hander whose fastball hits 80 mph.
Philadelphia’s rotation will get a boost Monday when Joe Blanton returns from the disabled list to start against St. Louis. Blanton strained an oblique during spring training.