Dark Horse Tavern » The third time was the charm Tuesday night for the Ph

NEW YORK —iladelphia Phillies http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-tim-tebow-jersey , who finally earned a win on a night in which the Atlanta Braves lost. The Phillies will look to continue a last-ditch attempt to get back into the National League East race Wednesday night when they host the New York Mets in the finale of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park.The Phillies evened the series Tuesday night when Jorge Alfaro’s three-run homer capped a five-run sixth inning in a 5-2 victory. The win, coupled with the Braves’ 8-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, pulled Philadelphia within 5 1/2 games of first-place Atlanta, which has a magic number of seven for winning the division.Article continues below ...The Braves have dropped three straight, but the Phillies failed to make up ground when they lost to the Miami Marlins on Sunday and the Mets on Monday.Another win on Wednesday — when the Phillies’ Zach Eflin (10-7, 4.26 ERA) is scheduled to oppose the Mets’ Noah Syndergaard (12-3, 3.26) in a battle of right-handers — will provide Philadelphia some valuable momentum heading Thursday, when it begins a make-or-break four-game series in Atlanta against the Braves. The two teams are also scheduled to finish the season with a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park.“We have a chance, for sure,” Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola told reporters after he allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings Tuesday night. “Seven games against the Braves. Have to go over there, but just worry about what we can do and not really worry about the Braves right now.”With their third loss in four games David Wright Jersey , meanwhile, the Mets (70-81) ensured themselves a second straight non-winning season. They opened the month with 10 wins in the first 13 games, but the late run wasn’t nearly enough to undo the damage New York suffered in going 5-21 in June — the third-worst month, in terms of winning percentage, in franchise history.“We have to do everything we can to make sure a June doesn’t happen again,” first-year Mets manager Mickey Callaway told reporters Tuesday afternoon. “Because it derails your whole season.”Eflin stopped a three-start losing streak last Friday when he allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings as the Phillies beat the Marlins 14-2. It was the first time since June 27, a span of 11 starts, in which Eflin allowed fewer than two runs.Syndergaard won his third straight start last Friday, surrendering just three hits over seven scoreless innings as the Mets beat the Boston Red Sox 8-0. He has a 1.99 ERA and has allowed 26 baserunners while striking out 21 over 22 2/3 innings this month.Eflin is 1-3 with a 6.10 ERA in six career starts against the Mets. He split two decisions against New York over the past six weeks, giving up 10 runs over 9 2/3 innings. Syndergaard is 5-2 with a 2.96 ERA in nine career starts against the Phillies. He allowed four runs and 12 hits over 6 2/3 innings in beating Philadelphia on Sept. 8. ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Two straight days facing their former aces http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-tim-tebow-jersey , two straight early deficits. And now two straight wins for the rebuilding Texas Rangers against the World Series-or-bust Chicago Cubs.Joey Gallo scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Rangers outscored the Cubs 11-10 on Sunday after falling behind Cole Hamels much the same way they did against Yu Darvish a day earlier.With one out and Chicago playing five infielders, Gallo raced home from third base when Pedro Strop’s pitch to Nomar Mazara bounced past catcher Willson Contreras and high onto the net behind home plate to give the Rangers a series win after the Cubs’ 12-4 victory on opening day.“There’s like a belief already in three games,” first-year Texas manager Chris Woodward said. “Incredible for me to watch because I’m just hearing it, I’m feeling it and then it’s showing up obviously in the results.”Jose Leclerc (1-0) stopped a Chicago rally in the eighth and got the last four outs for Texas. Strop (0-1) allowed Gallo’s leadoff double in the ninth, a high drive just over leaping left fielder Ben Zobrist at the wall. Pinch-hitter Shin-Soo Choo’s groundout moved Gallo up.Hamels couldn’t hold a 4-0 lead, allowing Delino DeShields‘ first career grand slam for a 5-4 deficit a day after Darvish took the mound for Chicago up 3-0 before walking seven of his first 13 hitters and failing to get through the third inning.The Japanese star who spent his first five-plus major league seasons with the Rangers was long gone by the time the Cubs finally lost the lead on Gallo’s three-run homer in the eighth inning of an 8-6 Texas win.“We know how tough and how good of a pitcher they are,” said Elvis Andrus, the longest-tenured Rangers player now in his 11th season. “So for us to stick to a plan and just believe that something good’s going to happen, regardless of if we’re down.”Chicago answered DeShields’ slam with a barrage of run-scoring singles before reliever Mike Montgomery gave up a tying, two-run triple to Mazara and Asdrubal Cabrera’s second two-run homer in two days, a high fly that grazed the foul pole in left for a 10-8 Texas lead.The Cubs got even again in the eighth on Anthony Rizzo’s first homer Mookie Wilson Jersey , an upper-deck solo shot to right, and Daniel Descalso’s third hit — one of seven RBI singles for the Cubs.Ultimately, the Chicago bullpen faltered again. Montgomery didn’t retire any of his three batters a day after Carl Edwards Jr. let all four of his reach, including Gallo’s go-ahead homer. Chicago relievers have given up 11 runs in two games.“We do have to nip this in the bud,” manager Joe Maddon said. “I do anticipate our guys will. There’s a lot of good names down there. Just one guy that had a tough time. Monty’s the guy that was the difference-maker tonight.”Jason Heyward, Zobrist, Rizzo and Javier Baez drove in a run apiece in the sixth inning before Jeff Mathis, celebrating his 36th birthday, homered to get Texas to 8-6.Hamels, acquired from the Rangers before the July 31 trade deadline last year, lost his shutout on Cabrera’s sacrifice fly in the fourth. Consecutive walks from the left-hander set up DeShields’ liner into the first row above the 14-foot wall in left field.“That team’s a tough team http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-tim-tebow-jersey ,” Hamels said. “They hit the long ball. They’ve done it for years. I’m pretty knowledgeable on what those guys can do, the damage, and you just have to make pitches. We really just need to narrow down, just making sure that we hit our spots.”TEXAS DEBUTLance Lynn lost his only lead in his Texas debut by allowing a double to Descalso and Heyward’s run-scoring hit to start the sixth. Lynn came out after Zobrist’s second RBI single, and Jesse Chavez gave up singles to all three hitters he faced.NIFTY SNAGKyle Schwarber opened the scoring with his second solo homer in two games, a shot to left in the second that Cubs reliever Randy Rosario snagged in his cap while sitting in a bullpen chair.UP NEXTCubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks is set for Atlanta’s home opener on Monday. Hendricks, who led the Cubs with a career-high 33 starts last season, is 1-0 with a 2.33 ERA in four appearances against the Braves.Rangers: LHP Drew Smyly is scheduled for his first major league start since September 2016 in his Texas debut at home against Houston on Monday. Smyly, acquired from the Cubs in November, had Tommy John surgery in July 2017.