Mets finally stop bleeding

Delgado homers help gain split with Phillies

The Mets' David Wright has just a little bit more reach as he stretches to touch the bag just ahead of the tag of Phillies third baseman Pedro Feliz. (Ray Stubblebine/Reuters)

Carlos Delgado hit two long homers and drove in four runs, backing a big win by Johan Santana as the Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-3, last night in New York for a doubleheader split.

The NL East leaders salvaged the finale of the three-game series, giving them a two-game edge over second-place Philadelphia.

In the opener, Jamie Moyer allowed only two soft singles in seven shutout innings and Greg Dobbs hit a three-run homer off Pedro Martínez, leading the Phillies to a 6-2 victory.

That put the pressure on Santana (13-7), because a loss would have created a first-place tie and stirred painful memories of last September's epic collapse.

Cole Hamels (12-9) hung an 0-2 breaking ball to Delgado leading off the third and he jumped on it, hitting a drive estimated at 400 feet off the bottom of the right-field scoreboard.

Delgado's solo shot in the fifth soared past the second deck of seats in right.

In the opener, a makeup of Saturday's rainout, the 45-year-old Moyer (13-7) allowed only a surprise bunt single by Robinson Cancel and an infield hit by Easley.

Mariners 5, Yankees 2 - Jose Lopez hit two homers and Ryan Feierabend (1-2) allowed just five hits as host Seattle sent New York tumbling into fourth place in AL East behind the Rays, Red Sox, and Blue Jays.

Lopez's liner just over the wall in left field gave Seattle a 3-2 lead in the fourth off Mike Mussina (17-8), who allowed four runs and seven hits and made a key error - his first in three years - in six innings.

Angels 3, White Sox 2 - Joe Saunders (15-7) earned his first win since July 30, holding AL Central-leading Chicago to two runs and four hits in 7 1/3 innings as visiting Los Angeles rallied from a 2-0 hole to avoid a three-game sweep.

Despite the loss, the White Sox remained 2 1/2 games ahead of the Twins in the AL Central.

Tigers 7, Twins 5 - Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, and Dusty Ryan homered to lift visiting Detroit to consecutive wins for the first time since Aug. 22-23.

Ryan, a rookie catcher, hit a two-run homer in his first major league start.

Reds 4, Cubs 3 - Jolbert Cabrera hit a game-ending RBI single off Chicago closer Kerry Wood to complete host Cincinnati's three-run ninth inning and send the NL Central-leading Cubs to their seventh loss in eight games.

In the ninth, Wood (4-4) walked pinch hitter Javier Valentin, loading the bases. Pinch hitter Chris Dickerson followed with a chopper up the middle that allowed the tying runs to score. Cabrera then ripped a single into left field, giving Wood his sixth blown save.

Padres 10, Brewers 1 - Chris Young came within four outs of a perfect game, retiring the first 23 Brewers in order before Gabe Kapler homered, as San Diego pounded host Milwaukee, which remains 4 games behind the Cubs in the NL Central.

Young got Prince Fielder and Corey Hart to pop out in the eighth before Kapler hit Young's 76th pitch of the game into the left-field bleachers.

Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 3 - James Loney had three RBIs and Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep of visiting Arizona to take a 1 1/2-game lead on the Diamondbacks in the NL West.

Hong Chih-Kuo (5-2) pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief for the victory.

Indians 3, Royals 1 - Cliff Lee (21-2) won his 10th straight decision, the longest winning streak in the majors this season, and Victor Martinez drove in all three runs for visiting Cleveland.

Astros 7, Rockies 5 - Pinch hitters Darin Erstad and David Newhan had back-to-back run-scoring hits in the eighth inning, lifting Houston at Denver.

Nationals 7, Braves 4 - Elijah Dukes hit a three-run double in the 14th inning and Steven Shell (2-1) pitched the 12th and 13th innings to earn the victory for Washington in Atlanta.

Giants 11, Pirates 6 - Pablo Sandoval finished with five RBIs and host San Francisco rode a 10-run inning to assure Pittsburgh of its 16th consecutive losing season.

Cardinals 3, Marlins 1 - Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer and Adam Wainwright (9-3) worked eight stingy innings as St. Louis took two of three from visiting Florida.