Cristopher Sanchez tossed 6 1/3 solid innings and earned the victory Sunday afternoon for the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, who earned a much-needed 7-2 win over the New York Mets in the finale of a four-game set.
Luis Arraez was 1-for-4 with two RBIs for the Phillies (86-70), who won the opening and closing games of the series. Justin Crawford provided insurance in the eighth with a bases-clearing triple off Kodai Senga as Philadelphia moved 4 1/2 games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the race for the final National League wild card.
The Phillies, who are 8-11 this month, began Sunday one game back of the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, who are tied for the top two NL wild card berths.
Alec Bohm had two hits, including an RBI single in the first immediately after Arraez’s sacrifice fly. Trea Turner laced a run-scoring double in the third two batters before Arraez delivered an RBI single.
Kyle Schwarber scored twice and drew four walks.
Bo Bichette homered for the Mets (71-85), who dropped their home finale for the third time in four years, while Brett Baty had a pinch-hit run-scoring single in the seventh. Francisco Alvarez and A.J. Ewing each singled twice.
Sanchez (18-6) gave up two runs on six hits and no walks while striking out six over 6 1/3 innings. He carried a shutout into the sixth, when Bichette hit a one-out homer to left to end a streak of nine straight batters retired by the Phillies’ southpaw.
Alex McFarlane surrendered consecutive singles after replacing Sanchez in the seventh, including Baty’s RBI knock, before retiring Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto to strand a pair of runners. Chase Shugart tossed a one-hit eighth and Jose Alvarado allowed a hit in the ninth.
Right-hander Jonah Tong (2-2) took the loss for the Mets after allowing four runs on five hits and four walks while striking out five over 4 2/3 innings.
