Cabrera, Reyes help Mets rout Phils 17-0 in home finale

With a 10-run deficit, Mets manager Terry Collins took out regulars Yoenis Cespedes, Curtis Granderson, Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes in the top of the fifth, and his bench players almost pulled off the comeback against Alec Asher (2-0) and the bullpen behind timely hits and poor Philadelphia defense. But the Mets felt pretty good about themselves after almost coming back from a 10-0 deficit to win.

“It’s a totally different game in September”, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before the game. “You’ve still got to go out, you’ve still got to play”, Howard said.

Collins, meanwhile, saluted his players for dealing with the tragedy on a personal level in the hours before the game on Sunday, then going about the business of trying to lock up a wild-card berth. Their win, more importantly, keeps the club on pace to sneak into the postseason as one of the two National League wild card teams. With two outs in the fourth, the Phillies strung together five straight hits – the third of which was an RBI single by Joseph and the fourth of which was a three-run homer by Ruf – to extend their lead to 10-0.

Gsellman, a 26-year-old right-hander making his sixth big league start, struck out a career-best eight and walked two, leaving to a standing ovation. Things didn’t turn out rosy as the Mets fell behind by 10 runs before a bunch of inspired reserves led a comeback against the Phillies which fell short, a 10-8 loss before 39,995 at Citi Field. “I thought I’d get him a little deeper in the game as far as pitch count goes”. With six games left, they are heading into what likely will be an emotional night in Miami. “I just thank God that we won tonight”.

“That’s not something that I would ever recommend to any ballplayer in Cuba, to maybe leave the way that we did”, Cespedes said through a translator, “but those who have I very much admire”. They want to get back and host a wild-card. “They’ve been swinging the bats well all week”.

“I know one thing”, Collins said with a grin. The Venezuela native hit previously hit a walk-off three-run home run against the Phillies in extras on Thursday.

“You can’t really ever check out because that can happen so you try not to check out” Mariot said. Knowing those final three games are against these same Phillies, you sure have to like their chances.

The win was the Phillies 70th of the year.

Ruf hit his first home run of the season, and the second pinch-hit homer of his career.

“They threw a bullpen game against us.so that’s tough to take”, Mackanin said. New York Yankees’ Gary Sanchez reacts during his at-bat against the Toronto Blue Jays during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016.

Gsellman, who with the likes of Seth Lugo have had major impacts on the rotation, said some mechanical tweaks earlier in the week helped. Trying to go out and see a good pitch to hit and make good contact.

REDS 6, BREWERS 1 Dan Straily pitched into the seventh inning and Joey Votto hit a two-run home run to lift visiting Cincinnati to a victory over Milwaukee. It was Herrera’s seventh multi-hit game in his last 11 games. Asher had a 9.31 ERA in seven starts with the Phillies in 2015. Dee Gordon had two hits, two walks and three stolen bases – one shy of tying the Marlins’ single-game franchise high.

Before the game the team observed a moment of silence for Jose Fernandez, the Miami Marlins’ ace who died early Sunday morning, and Yoenis Cespedes taped a Mets jersey with Fernandez’s name and number to the wall in the dugout. Lagares missed most of the last four months because of a thumb injury while Campbell and Rivera spent the majority of the season in Triple A.