Billy Wagner’s streak wasn’t going to last forever, but given the circumstances, last night wasn’t the time to finally blow one.
Are the Mets ever going to win another game? Their frustration continued with yet another rough night at the plate and a bullpen meltdown that ended with a 6-3 loss to the Phillies in 10 innings at Shea Stadium.
Scott Schoeneweis (0-1) was charged for all three runs in the 10th inning, ending a brutal 3-6 homestand for the Mets, who were swept three games at home for the first time since September 2005.
“We’re all frustrated, and we all understand we’re better than this,” Wagner said after the Mets extended their season-high losing streak to four games. They maintained their 31/2-game lead on the Braves, but now have to watch for these Phillies, who moved within five games of first place in the NL East.
The real news was that Wagner had his streak of consecutive saves snapped at 31, dating to last season, when Pat Burrell cleared the left-field fence leading off the ninth to make it 3-3. So much for the gem John Maine pitched over seven innings to put the right-hander in position for his seventh victory.
“Our starting staff, they pitched their tail off,” Wagner said, referring to the series. “The bullpen, we stunk. We didn’t hit real well, but tonight we should have won the game. Put all three games on our bullpen. We didn’t do what we had been doing all year long.”
But the Mets couldn’t pin this one all on their lefty closer or the bullpen in general. You start with the fact this beleaguered Mets lineup was held to three runs or fewer for the fifth time in six games.
“We’re putting too much expectation on our bullpen,” David Wright said. “It’s on the offense’s shoulders.”
Chase Utley’s RBI double against Schoeneweis snapped the tie in the 10th, and the Phillies added two more for comfort.
Maine had a third straight strong performance, allowing two earned runs on six hits over seven innings. But the right-hander has only one victory to show for his effort over that stretch.
How much did the Mets want this one? The fact Wagner was summoned in the eighth inning to face Ryan Howard with the tying run on base should answer that question. Wagner, who previously hadn’t entered in the eighth inning this season, walked Howard but struck out Aaron Rowand before stumbling in the ninth.
With three mighty blows in the sixth inning against Cole Hamels, the Mets had their runs, one of them amid controversy. Carlos Delgado homered into the Mets’ bullpen before Wright hit a blast to left that was originally ruled in play. Wright stopped at third base with a triple before the call was overturned and Wright was awarded a home run.
Replays showed the ball clearly hit a yellow sign beyond the left-field fence for a homer. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel vehemently protested for several minutes and was finally ejected.
10 INNINGS Phillies 6 Mets 3
mpuma@nypost.com
