Josh Thole , who was on first, is out trying to go back to the bag in the first inning of the Mets’ 5-2 win last night. (Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA — Title this one: “Friday the 13th: Jason Lives.”
Just when Jason Bay seemed deader than the freak in those cheesy horror movies, the Mets left fielder came wielding a machete last night that left Cliff Lee bloodied in the gutter.
Bay’s two-run homer against Lee in the first inning, coupled with solid pitching from R.A. Dickey, led the Mets to a 5-2 victory over the Phillies before 45,429 at Citizens Bank Park.
Any victory over the Phillies is big for the Mets. But this one was huge considering it came against Lee, who had a 0.43 ERA in his previous three starts against them, and with David Wright still sidelined by a broken right pinkie that may land him on the disabled list.
Bay, who entered batting .158 with one RBI, helped rescue the Mets with his first-inning rocket on a Lee fastball.
“I can only try to reiterate that I’ve actually been feeling pretty good,” Bay said. “And it’s like, you get no results and it’s really hard to try and sell somebody on that. But a guy like [Lee] it literally was the only pitch I got to hit from him all night. The way things have been going I normally would have missed it or taken it.”
Dickey (2-0) escaped several jams and lasted through the seventh inning, allowing one earned run on nine hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. Rookie Freddy Galvis’ first career homer, a shot leading off the third, accounted for the Phillies’ lone run against Dickey.
The Phillies added an unearned run in the ninth against Frank Francisco, when Juan Pierre hit a grounder between Daniel Murphy’s legs, allowing Carlos Ruiz to score. Bobby Parnell gave the Mets a scoreless eighth.
“Tonight I had a good knuckleball for a batter and then it would kind of go away,” Dickey said. “I still think there might be something to the weather. It’s that time of year where I’m going to have to fight some of that. But that’s OK. I can do that.”
Ruben Tejada and Murphy hit successive doubles against Lee leading off the game, giving the Mets a run, before Bay unloaded into the right-field seats with two outs.
The homer was the first surrendered by Lee in four career starts against the Mets. The lefty had held the Mets to one earned run in his previous three starts combined against them
“Jason Bay had a huge hit tonight, and that can’t be overstated enough,” Dickey said.
Scott Hairston’s homer leading off the fifth against Lee extended the Mets’ lead to 4-1, and Lucas Duda’s sacrifice fly against Kyle Kendrick in the eighth added another run.
“You just don’t get to guys like [Lee],” Mets manager Terry Collins said, pointing out the strength of the Phillies’ rotation. “You don’t get to Cliff or Doc [Halladay] or [Cole] Hamels or Vance Worley, jump out on them like that, so it was a great start for us.”
The manager was clearly relieved to see Bay deliver for a change.
“I feel great for Jason Bay,” Collins said. “He needed it as much as anybody. It was a huge hit for him and for us.”
Maybe the only blemish was Josh Thole’s brain cramp to end the second. With Thole on first, Dickey delivered a perfect sacrifice bunt, but Thole, after reaching second, turned around and jogged back to first base. He was tagged out. Thole said he blanked out.
Instead of receiving credit for the sacrifice, Dickey ended up with a double play next to his name in the box score.