A 7-4 loss to the Florida Marlins last night was the Mets' fifth straight, and the red-hot Phillies continued to take advantage of the collapse, moving a game ahead of New York in the NL East with two to play. If the Mets don't rally now, their slide would be among the worst in baseball history, writes the New York Times.
Oliver Perez gave up six runs in less than four innings for the loss, the Mets' 11th in their last 15 games. Carlos Beltran hit his 33rd home run of the season, but New York's offense fizzled, leaving 19 men on base. Any combination of two Mets losses and Phillies wins would now mean elimination for the former first-place Mets. (More MLB stories.)