By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Final: Mets 12, Phillies 1 ❖ Attendance: 35,832
FLUSHING, N.Y. — Thanks to a strong outing by RHP Noah Syndergaard and ample power from their offense, the New York Mets (66-63) pulled within 2.5 games out of the second National League Wild Cart spot with a commanding 12-1 victory over RHP Jeremy Hellickson and the Philadelphia Phillies (59-70) Saturday evening at Citi Field.
The Mets have scored 76 runs in their last 12 games with 22 home runs and with the rout, have now won 12 of their last 14 series against the Phillies and six of their last seven overall.
The Phillies, on the other hand, have surrendered eighth home runs to the Mets through the first two games of the series: four solo home runs, one two-run home run, one three-run home run and two grand slams. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera accounts for nearly half of the blasts with three to raise his season total to 16, a 23 percent increase.
Syndergaard is now 4-0 with a 1.37 ERA through four career starts against the Phillies.
The Phillies' first hit of the contest against Syndergaard came with one out in the top of the third, a solo home run by shortstop Freddy Galvis to right, his 14th of the season. The next half-inning, following a single to left by third baseman Jose Reyes, Cabrera went yard to left center on a 91 mph fastball off Hellickson to put the Mets on top, 2-1.
The Mets would add three runs to their lead in the fourth. Two batters after Syndergaard and Reyes doubled and singled respectively to center, left fielder Yoenis Cespedes hit a three-run blast to left on the eighth pitch of his at-bat.
Hellickson's 26th outing of the season would be complete after just four innings on 89 pitches (56 strikes). He surrendered five runs on seven hits and three walks. On just 20 pitches, RHP David Hernandez threw 1-2-3 fifth and sixth innings in relief of Hellickson and punched-out two Mets batters.
RHP Michael Mariot entered in the seventh and threw eight balls over his first nine pitches, walking Cabrera and Cespedes. Second baseman Neil Walker then singled to load the bases with nobody out. Center fielder Alejandro De Aza took advantage of the opportunity two batters later, lacing his ninth double to center to bring home two more insurance runs. After intentionally walking right fielder Curtis Granderson, Mariot surrendered a two-out grand slam to pinch hitter Kelly Johnson, which supplied the Mets a commanding 10-run lead.
Walker hit a solo home run off of RHP Severino Gonzalez to begin the bottom of the eighth.
On the opposite side, Syndergaard allowed just three Phillies batters to reach through the first six innings with two walks yielded to second baseman Cesar Hernandez in the first and third, in addition to Galvis' solo home run. The Phillies' fourth batter to reach did not come until the seventh with a one-out single to right by third baseman Maikel Franco. Syndergaard would end the night with seven innings of one-run baseball on 104 pitches (74 strikes).
Game Notes:
- Making his second career start against the Phillies at Citi Field, Syndergaard has not allowed a run through 14 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old right-hander has now won each of his four career starts against the Phillies overall, dating back to May 27 of last season at Citizens Bank Park.
- Cespedes' fourth inning three-run home run was the ninth of his career against the Phillies. During his five-year career, he has hit nine or more home runs against three other clubs: Seattle Mariners (18), Texas Rangers (10) and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (9).
- Earning his 64th start of the season, Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard surpassed former teammate Chase Utley to move into sole possession of seventh place on the franchise's all-time list for games played, 1,552.
- Over their last 10 games, the Phillies have a MLB-low 12 hits with runners in scoring position through 73 at-bats (.164 average) and four extra-base hits (two doubles, two home runs).
- The Phillies are now 11-11 through 22 games in the month of August. They have just one winning month this season, April (14-10). They were 12-16 in May, 9-19 in June and 13-14 in July.
RHP Vince Velasquez will look to salvage the series for the Phillies on Sunday while in opposition of rookie RHP Robert Gsellman, who takes the rotation spot of southpaw Jon Niese (left knee). It will be Gsellman's first start and second appearance overall of his career. (Time: 1:10 p.m.; TV: CSN; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP).
