Kendrick Dazzles, Lidge Holds on in Game 1

Young righty makes most opportunity

In a spot start Kyle Kendrick came up huge as the Phillies held on to beat the Mets 5-4 Sunday afternoon.

Kendrick pitched into the eighth inning using his sinker ball to record 14 ground ball outs. The right-hander retired Jeremy Reed on a grounder to start the eighth but was chased after he allowed a single to Angel Pagan and a two-run homer to Anderson Hernandez.

The Phils power came from Shane Victorino and Ben Francisco who each homered in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.

All the news wasn’t sunny for the Phils as closer Brad Lidge struggled again.

Lidge was temporarily demoted from his Phillies closer role this week. Sunday he gave up two runs in the ninth but finished for his 29th save in 39 opportunities. Ryan Madson had blown the save in Saturday's loss to the Mets.

Making his first Phillies start of the season, Kendrick looked like the rookie who contributed greatly to Philadelphia's 2007 playoff run, rather than the one who struggled in '08. He struck out three, walked one and allowed seven hits in 7.1 innings.

September call-up Andy Tracy had an RBI single in the eighth to give Philadelphia a 5-2 lead.

New York right-hander John Maine made his first start since June 6. Out with a sore shoulder, Maine was one of several key players who missed a large chunk of the season, ruining the Mets chances of competing with the Phillies for the NL East crown.

Maine (5-5) gave up an RBI double to Ryan Howard in the first of his three innings. He threw 57 pitches and gave up two hits before giving way to rookie Tobi Stoner.

Stoner gave up Victorino's first home run since Aug. 12, a two-run shot in the fifth, and put the Phillies up 4-0. Francisco had homered in the fourth.

Home runs have accounted for 332 of Philadelphia's 714 runs scored this season, or 46 percent. The Phillies' 204 homers lead the NL by a wide margin, ahead of the Colorado Rockies, who entered play Sunday with 170.

The second game of the doubleheader was scheduled for 8:05 p.m.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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