NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Nola and the Phillies needed a big hit. Rhys Hoskins came through at just the right time.A slumping Hoskins launched a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning to make Nola a winner http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-jake-odorizzi-jersey , and Philadelphia edged the New York Mets 4-3 on Friday night.“Rhys’ homer was huge. Man, was that enormous,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. “It injected a lot of life, it injected a lot of enthusiasm into the dugout.”Carlos Santana lined an early two-run shot for the Phillies, who trail Atlanta by 2½ games in the NL East. The first-place Braves lost 5-3 to Arizona.Nola (16-4) bounced back from a rare rough outing, striking out eight over seven innings to match Washington ace Max Scherzer for the National League lead in wins. Those two are in a tight race with Mets star Jacob deGrom for the NL Cy Young Award, and Nola helped his cause Friday with deGrom sitting in the opposite dugout.“I think it was a special moment for Nola to see that happen and kind of getting the win, Cy Young race, the whole drama and everything that’s going on,” Kapler said. “Game in a playoff chase with so much on the line.”Nola walked one and gave up three hits, including Dominic Smith’s tying homer in the seventh. Hoskins led off the eighth with his 28th home run, connecting on a 97 mph fastball from Tyler Bashlor (0-3) to snap an 0-for-14 slide.The slugger watched the ball fly to left field and gave his bat a little flip as he trotted toward first base.“Yeah, I’m buying him dinner tomorrow,” Nola said with a smile.Seranthony Dominguez tossed a perfect inning and Tommy Hunter earned his fourth save . They needed only 13 pitches between them to get the final six outs.Jay Bruce flied out to the center-field fence in the ninth. Bruce homered leading off the second Eddie Rosario Jersey , and rookie Jeff McNeil drove in a run with a hit-and-run double for the Mets. Nola, however, improved to 4-0 with a 1.97 ERA in five starts against New York this year.“He’s a bulldog and he never gives in,” Mets leadoff batter Brandon Nimmo said.Nola became the first Phillies pitcher to win 16 games in a season since Cole Hamels won 17 in 2012.“My focus is fully with this team right now,” Nola said. “Trying to get some wins, trying to win the division title.”Asdrubal Cabrera put the Phillies up 3-2 with an RBI single off reliever Eric Hanhold in the sixth. Pinch-hitter Odubel Herrera opened the inning with a double.Before the game, Cabrera doffed his cap to the crowd when the Mets played a video tribute for him. New York traded the veteran infielder to Philadelphia in late July.Mets starter Steven Matz allowed two runs and three hits with eight strikeouts in five innings. But he was outlasted by Nola despite some sensational Mets defense .“Everything explodes out of his hand, and he’s got command of everything,” New York outfielder Michael Conforto said. “There definitely was that feeling — I can tell you from the hitters — just, let’s really try to get this guy tonight. We didn’t quite do enough to get the win.”TRAINER’S ROOMPhillies: 3B Maikel Franco said his sore right wrist was feeling better. An MRI came back clean, and Franco was available off the bench after missing the team’s previous series in Miami. … Speedy OF Roman Quinn sat out after hitting a ball off his foot. He was available off the bench, Kapler said.Mets: Kevin Plawecki got hit by a pitch near his left wrist in the second. The catcher was checked by manager Mickey Callaway and a trainer, but remained in the game. Plawecki exited Wednesday’s game at Dodger Stadium after getting plunked in the ribs and was sent for tests. … RHP Anthony Swarzak (right shoulder inflammation) is scheduled to face 3B David Wright during a simulated game Saturday at Citi Field. The team would like Swarzak to throw 20 pitches. If he comes out of the session OK, he would likely be activated in the next day or two Robbie Grossman Jersey , Callaway said. Swarzak has been sidelined since Aug. 4. Wright, who hasn’t played in the majors since May 2016, is attempting a comeback from neck, back and shoulder injuries. … Mets catcher Devin Mesoraco received an epidural for a bulging disk in his back, and the club hopes he’ll be able to return in about a week. … After taking a line drive off his chest during Wednesday’s outing, RHP Zack Wheeler feels fine and is scheduled to make his next start.MAKING CHANGESAaron Altherr was in center field for the Phillies, his first major league start since July 20. He was demoted to the minors two days later and brought back Sept. 1. Altherr doubled his first time up and finished 1 for 2. … Philadelphia recalled catcher Andrew Knapp from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.UP NEXTPhillies RHP Zach Eflin (9-6, 4.05 ERA) faces RHP Noah Syndergaard (10-3, 3.33) in the middle game of the series Saturday night. Syndergaard is coming off his first career complete game, a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts in San Francisco. He lost at Philadelphia on Aug. 17. Locked in a battle with Houston for the AL West crown and in the middle of one of the most challenging stretches of the schedule this season, Oakland A’s manager Bob Melvin plans to be creative with his starting rotation for the time being.That will start Sunday when Chris Bassitt is recalled from Triple-A Nashville to start against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.That will allow Melvin to give all his starters an extra day before their next turn.Article continues below ...“What the schedule allows you to do this year is give some guys some extra rest,” Melvin said Saturday. “We have been leaning on them a little more here recently. So, we want to make sure these guys are fresh down the stretch. ‘Bass’ is pitching pretty well down there at this point, so he’ll get the start tomorrow. We won’t go with a six-man rotation.”Bassitt has a 4.25 ERA in 17 appearances for Nashville this season and 2-3 with a 3.39 ERA and 25 strikeouts in six starts for the A’s. His last big league appearance came on July 11 when he allowed three runs over five innings in the A’s 3-2 victory over the Astros.Melvin also has the luxury of a deep and relatively rested bullpen at his disposal to spell his starters or cover innings in the event of a short start.He’ll also try and get some of his position players a break http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-kyle-gibson-jersey , too, during this run of 20 games in 20 days. Matt Olson was held out of the starting lineup Saturday after playing in all 129 of Oakland’s games to that point.“We’ll see where it goes,” Melvin said. “He doesn’t want anything to do with it, but talking to the training staff, there are a few guys that we will look to maybe try to do this with. (Saturday) was his day.”Sunday will mark the first time that Minnesota right-hander Jose Berrios faces the A’s during his three seasons in the major leagues.Berrios took no decision his last time out despite holding the White Sox to a run on four hits and a pair of walks while striking out four over five innings of work in a game that included a 52-minute rain delay.“Give Jose a lot of credit,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “We were right on the edge there of putting him back out there. Just concerned about how much time went by. He did a nice job of putting up some zeroes after the delay.”Berrios had just started throwing his warmup pitches for the second inning when the game was delayed but Molitor decided to send him back out when play resumed.“I didn’t want to come out of the game,” Berrios said. “I kept myself warm, and that’s why they kept me in the game. I didn’t really play catch. Just move around, stretch myself, roll out my arm. When (Molitor) figured out what time we were going to start, I went into my routine: play catch and then go to the mound.”He’s looking for his first victory since Aug. 4. In three starts since, he has a 5.68 ERA over 12 2/3 innings of work.
