NEW YORK -- The Phillies did little at the plate and played poorly in the field in suffering a 2-0 loss to the New York Mets in that team’s home opener Monday at Citi Field.
The Phillies (3-4) have been shut out twice in seven games.
The Mets are 4-3.
Both of the Mets’ runs came after defensive miscues by the Phillies.
The Phillies are averaging just 2.29 runs per game.
The crowd of 43,947 was the largest ever for a regular-season game at Citi Field, topped only by the All-Star Game in 2013.
MLB
Starting pitching report
Aaron Harang (1-1) had his second straight strong start. He gave up just four hits and one run over six innings. Harang would have avoided giving up the run if he had been able to make the play on a hard-hit comebacker in the fourth.
Harang has allowed just one run over 12 1/3 innings in two starts.
Harang did a nice job pitching out of a one-out jam in the sixth. Rightfielder Grady Sizemore lost a fly ball from Michael Cuddyer in the sun and it went for a triple. Harang stayed composed and got two pop outs to end the inning.
Harang did not help himself with the bat as he failed to advance the runners on a bunt back to the pitcher in the fifth. The Phillies’ bunting has been abysmal so far this season.
Bullpen report
Mets right-hander Carlos Torres got one of the biggest outs of the game when he caught Ben Revere looking at a full-count cutter with a runner on third to end the top of the seventh. Revere did not agree with the borderline pitch being called a strike.
Jeurys Familia got the save despite throwing more balls than strikes.
At the plate
The Phillies had seven hits, but all were singles. They were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.
Freddy Galvis had three singles.
Juan Lagares drove in a run for the Mets with an infield hit off Harang’s glove. Travis d’Arnaud drove in the other run with a sacrifice fly after an error by Chase Utley.
In the field
The Phillies, who have made seven errors this season, continued their sloppy play on defense. They made two errors in this game. The Mets’ first run came when Harang could not handle a hot comebacker from Lagares to the mound. Had Harang made the play, he would have gotten out of the inning unscathed.
In the eighth, Utley committed an error on a tailor-made double-play ball. The Mets ended up scoring in the inning.
Revere made a couple of nice catches in left.
Up next
David Buchanan (0-1, 18.00) faces Mets ace Matt Harvey (1-0, 0.00) on Tuesday night.
Harvey, who missed last season rehabbing his elbow after Tommy John surgery, pitched six scoreless innings and struck out nine Washington Nationals in his first start.