SHORT, NOT SWEET: Jeremy Hefner, delivering a pitch last night in Philadelphia, lasted just four innings in a 7-3 Mets loss to the Phillies. (Getty Images)
SHORT, NOT SWEET: Jeremy Hefner, delivering a pitch last night in Philadelphia, lasted just four innings in a 7-3 Mets loss to the Phillies. (Getty Images)
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 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) surrendered five runs in the first inning last night, allowing 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.
Chase Utley’s two-run homer in the first and Domonic Brown’s three-run blast later in the inning buried Hefner.
“All the damage was done with home runs, so that’s a combination of missed location and getting behind in counts,” Hefner said. “Ground balls don’t go out of parks, so that’s the goal, to get them to hit it on the ground.
“I know I’m good enough to beat these guys, and I just didn’t execute my pitches.”
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.
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 only three-plus innings in the Mets’ comeback victory over the Marlins on Sunday and Dillon Gee went only three innings, allowing seven runs, including three homers, in Tuesday’s 8-3 loss to the Phillies.
“It’s early, but those guys have got to command their pitches,” Collins said. “That’s what it is about. When they pitch good, they are ahead in counts and get deep into games with low pitch counts. When they fall behind and get balls up they are going to get hit. In a lineup that can hit homers, you can’t make a lot of mistakes and we made them the last two nights.”
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 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.
“I got a couple of pitches up that I was able to handle,” Duda said.
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.