Phillies Get to Hefner Early, Notch First Series Win of the Season

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The last time he faced the Phillies, Jeremy Hefner gave up six runs and never recorded an out.

On Wednesday night, the Mets starter was tagged for two homers in the first inning. Chase Utley went to dead-away center and Dom Brown to the second deck in right. Notice, by the way, the uncanny similarity between the picture above and the one we used in our pregame post.

It was part of a five-run first that sent the Phillies on their way to a 7-3 win and their first series win of the season.

Hefner lasted just three innings and 68 pitches before his exit. He's now given up 18 earned runs in 10.1 innings over four appearances against the Phillies.

Standing opposite, Kyle Kendrick allowed eight hits but worked his way out of multiple jams — included a base-loaded spot in the second — to cede just two runs in six innings pitched. Both runs came on solo shots, one to John Buck in the second and the other to Lucas Duda in the fourth. Buck went yard in each game of the series and now leads the majors with 15 RBI.

The game was stopped and the tarp rolled out for 27 minutes in the bottom of the fourth when a thunderstorm blew through.

The offense picked up again in the sixth when Laynce Nix pinch-hit for Kendrick and popped a two-run homer to right-center.

Thereafter, Antonio Bastardo pitched a scoreless seventh, Mike Adams allowed another solo homer to Duda in the eighth and Jonathan Papelbon finished things off just in time in the ninth.

Although the two ridiculous plays in the outfield from Jordany Valdespin were probably better, Ben Revere earns a special shoutout for his inning-ending double play in the fifth. After a Kendrick wild pitch moved Valdespin to third and Daniel Murphy to second with one out, Revere made a charging catch on a flyball to shallow-center, sort of managed to keep his balance on the wet grass, and got off the falling-down throw to pick off Murphy at second and end the inning.

And that'll wrap it up.

Official game time: 2 hours and 55 minutes, plus a 27-minute delay.

And the attendance: 38,715

Phils improve to 4-5 and have the day off on Thursday before opening a weekend set with the Marlins on Friday in Miami.

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