NEW YORK (AP) — Mark Canha hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in his latest blitz of Philadelphia Phillies pitching, Max Scherzer settled down from a shaky first inning to win his third straight decision and the New York Mets completed a three-game sweep of the defending NL champions with a 4-2 victory Thursday.
New York trailed 2-0 before Jeff McNeil hit an RBI single in the third and Canha homered in the fourth against former Met Taijuan Walker (4-3).
Canha homered and drove in four runs a night earlier and is 6 for 10 with four homers and 11 RBIs in his last three games against the Phillies dating to last season.
While the Mets improved to 30-27, Philadelphia (25-31) dropped a season-worst six games under .500. The Phillies are on their fourth losing streak of four or more games.
Scherzer (5-2) fell behind 2-0 in the first after Trea Turner singled with one out and Bryce Harper walked. A double steal led to a run when catcher Francisco Álvarez’s throw skipped into left field for an error, and Nick Castellanos followed with a sacrifice fly.
Scherzer gave up two runs — one earned — and five hits in seven inning, striking out nine and walking one. He threw 71 of 101 pitches for strikes.
With Adam Ottavino and David Robertson rested after pitching on consecutive days, Jeff Brigham threw a perfect eighth. Brooks Raley got two outs and Drew Smith retired pinch-hitter Drew Ellis, making his Phillies debut, on a first-pitch flyout with a man on for his second save.
Philadelphia managed just three runs and 17 hits in the series — just two for extra bases — with 33 strikeouts. Kyle Schwarber was 0 for 10.
Castellanos had three of the Phillies' six hits in the finale.
Walker hit Starling Marte with a pitch before Canha turned on a thigh-high fastball for his fifth home run this season. New York has homered in 15 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in team history behind 21 in 1996.
Walker threw just 38 of 74 pitches for strikes, giving up three runs, two hits and three walks in four innings.
Rookie Mark Vientos added a sixth-inning sacrifice fly off Matt Strahm.
NEW NORMAL
Mets right-hander Kodai Senga could pitch on normal four days’ rest for the first time on Sunday. Senga, 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA, has made his first 10 starts with extra rest, similar to the schedule of pitchers in Japan.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: INF Alec Bohm was put on the 10-day IL with a strained left hamstring, a move retroactive to Wednesday. Ellis’ contract was selected from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and OF Cal Stevenson was designated for assignment. ... LHP José Alvarado (left elbow inflammation) threw a bullpen session and is to throw an inning Saturday for Lehigh Valley in the first of what will be multiple rehab appearances.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Zack Wheeler (4-4, 3.60) starts Friday’s series opener at Washington, which sends RHP Josiah Gray (4-5, 2.77) to the mound.
Mets: RHP Justin Verlander (2-2, 4.80) opens a three-game series against Toronto on Friday, opposed by former Met Chris Bassitt (5-4, 3.80).
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
