The Philadelphia Phillies were unable to hold two leads Tuesday night against the New York Mets, and a Mets four-run 10th inning was too much to come back from as the Phillies dropped the opener of a three-game set, 9-5.
The Phillies came out strong, as Ryan Howard's first-inning grand slam put the Mets in an early hole after New York scored a run in the opening frame. But that early lead didn't stand, as the Mets slowly chipped away at the lead, scoring two in the fourth and one in the fifth to tie the score.
The Phillies answered right back in the bottom of the frame on second baseman Chase Utley's solo shot to right field to give the Phillies a one-run lead they would hold until the eighth, when Mets catcher Kelly Shoppach's double scored David Wright to knot the score.
After the game went into extra innings, the Mets plastered Phillies reliever B.J. Rosenberg for four runs in the 10th to put away the game. Utley did collect a single in the bottom of the inning, but the Phillies went quietly against Mets reliever Bobby Parnell, who also collected the win.
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