Shane Victorino went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI, and Joe Blanton tossed seven efficient innings to lead the scorching Phillies to an 11th straight victory, a 3-2 edging of the Mets.
Philadelphia sits atop the NL East by 6 1/2 games over the Braves with eight contests remaining, as their magic number to clinch a fourth straight division crown sits at three behind a sensational 19-3 September thus far.
Blanton (8-6) needed just 74 pitches to get through his outing, the only significant blemish being Angel Pagan's two-run homer. The right-hander, who is 7-1 since June 12, scattered six hits and a walk while fanning six.
R.A. Dickey (11-8) was touched for three runs -- two earned -- on eight hits and two walks over six frames for New York, which has lost a season-high six straight.
The Mets had the tying run on third and go-ahead run on first in the ninth, but Brad Lidge struck out pinch-hitter Jesus Feliciano to notch his 27th save of the season.
Dickey, who tossed a one-hit shutout against the Phillies on August 13th, had his second pitch of the game taken over the left field wall by Victorino for the Hawaiian's first career leadoff homer.
Victorino came up with Wilson Valdez in scoring position an inning later and knocked in the runner with a line drive double to left.
The Mets tied it in the fourth on Pagan's two-run shot, but the hosts got the lead right back in the bottom half, as Raul Ibanez singled leading off, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Carlos Ruiz's base hit to right.
The Phillies maintained the one-run cushion with good defense, highlighted by Ibanez's sliding catch in the sixth inning on a ball hit to left by Ike Davis to strand a runner on second.
In the seventh, Blanton picked up Pagan's leadoff bunt down the first base line and made an off-balanced scoop that Ryan Howard had to dig out of the dirt at first, proving vital as a result of Chris Carter's pinch-hit double later in the frame.
Blanton got pinch-hitter Nick Evans to fly out to end the seventh, and Ryan Madson pitched a 1-2-3 eighth to set the table for Lidge in the ninth.
Lidge, who earned a save in each of the three games against the Braves earlier this week, gave up a one-out double high off the left field wall to Davis. Pagan then flied out deep to center to move the runner up a base, and Josh Thole walked on four pitches.
Feliciano appeared to bounce back to Lidge for the final out of the game, but a late timeout call by third baseman umpire Hunter Wendelstedt nullified the groundout. Nonetheless, Lidge got Feliciano to swing at a ball in the dirt for strike three, finishing off another Phillies win.
Game Notes
This is the Phillies' longest winning streak since a 13-game stretch in 1991...Mets shortstop Jose Reyes went 0-for-4, snapping his 24-game road hitting streak...The Mets are 12-25 on the road since the All-Star break...Madson has not allowed an earned run since August 23, a span of 19 appearances...Lidge has converted his last 10 save chances...Davis ended with three hits...The Phillies matched last season's win total.
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