PHILADELPHIA — It’s Harvey and Niese, and then they’re deceased.
There you have the state of the Mets’ starting rotation in a nutshell. When Matt Harvey and Jon Niese take the mound this season, the Mets will often look better than most teams in the National League. Behind that tandem, it’s cross your fingers and hope for the best if you are manager Terry Collins.
Last night it was Jeremy Hefner’s turn to raise further doubts about the middle and back end of this rotation. Hefner became the team’s third starter in four games to last fewer than five innings, as the Mets fell 7-3 to the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
The Mets (5-4) concluded their three-game series here with two straight losses. The good news for the Mets, who are off today, is Niese and Harvey are the scheduled starting pitchers tomorrow and Saturday in Minnesota.
Hefner (0-2) allowed five runs in the first inning last night, offering Kyle Kendrick and the Phillies plenty of room for error. Lucas Duda hit two home runs and John Buck homered for the third straight day to account for the Mets’ runs.
The Mets’ comeback hopes were all but nixed by Laynce Nix’s two-run homer off LaTroy Hawkins in the sixth that gave the Phillies a 7-2 lead. The Mets allowed five homers in losing the final two games of the series.
Hefner was removed for a pinch-hitter in the fourth, after surrendering five earned runs on six hits and three walks over three innings. Aaron Laffey lasted three-plus innings in the Mets’ comeback victory over the Marlins on Sunday and Dillon Gee went three innings, allowing seven runs, in Tuesday’s 8-3 loss to the Phillies.
Hefner had given the Mets six strong innings in his previous start, allowing only a run against the Marlins last Friday.
There was hope for the Mets in the fourth, when a downpour left open the possibility — albeit slim according to local weather reports — the game would be rained out. But play resumed after a delay of only 27 minutes, with the Mets still in a 5-2 hole.
Buck’s solo homer in the second against Kendrick sliced the Phillies’ lead to 5-1 before Duda hit a mammoth solo blast to right in the fourth. Buck’s homer was his fifth of the season and gave him one in each of the three games in the series. It marked the first time in Buck’s major league career that he homered in three straight games.
Duda unloaded against reliever Mike Adams in the eighth for his third career multi-homer game and first since May 30 of last season.
Daniel Murphy’s base-running blunder in the fifth cost the Mets a possible run and chance at a bigger inning. Ike Davis hit a fly to medium center with one out that was caught on the run by Ben Revere. Jordany Valdespin tagged at third and was on his way home, but Murphy broke from second and was easily thrown out, completing the double play before Valdespin reached the plate.
The Mets also missed a chance in the second following Buck’s homer, leaving the bases loaded when Hefner and Valdespin struck out in succession.
Mike Baxter doubled following Duda’s homer in the fourth, but was left stranded when neither Ruben Tejada nor pinch-hitter Justin Turner could deliver.
The Phillies sent eight batters to the plate and scored five runs in the first inning against Hefner. Dominic Brown’s three-run homer was the big hit, after Chase Utley delivered a two-run blast earlier in the inning.
mpuma@nypost.com