So many things could have gone worse for the Mets. Instead, they were the ones who got to celebrate.
Pinch-hitter Brian Schneider lined a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and the Mets rallied in the late innings, beating Philadelphia 9-4 Saturday night and ending the Phillies' four-game winning streak.
Schneider's two-run double came with two outs. He was the Mets' third pinch-hitter of the inning as they overcame a 4-3 deficit.
"That was big for us to break through," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said.
The Mets won despite losing Maine - their right-handed starter - because of a cramp in his left forearm. Church left in the late innings with dizziness - the outfielder recently came off the disabled list after being slowed by the effects of his second concussion this year.
Both players said they were fine.
"At least it's not my right arm," Maine said.
Maine said he was not expected to miss a start, but added if the arm still hurts, "Who knows?"
Church complained of headaches on the right side and strained eyes, but said he's battled migraines since he was young and the symptoms were not related to the concussions. Manuel expected Church to play on Sunday.
One night after Philadelphia relievers tossed 4 1-3 scoreless innings and lowered their ERA to 2.62 in a 3-2 win over the Mets, they imploded in the late innings.
J.C. Romero (4-2) let two runners reach in the eighth. Tom Gordon threw a wild pitch that scored the tying run, then gave up Schneider's hit. Rudy Seanez gave up three more runs in the ninth.
Pedro Feliciano (1-2) earned the win despite giving up a go-ahead hit in the seventh.
Maine gave up just one hit in 5 2-3 innings, a three-run homer by Ryan Howard. But after throwing a fastball to Howard in the sixth, Maine walked off the mound because of the cramp.
Aaron Heilman relieved with the score tied at 3 and struck out Howard to end the inning.
The Phillies took a 4-3 lead in the seventh on Jayson Werth's pinch-hit, two-out single off Feliciano. Werth was thrown out trying to move up on the throw home.
Damion Easley, who had three hits, singled with one out in the Mets eighth and Carlos Delgado followed with a single. Gordon threw a wild pitch that made it 4-all, pinch-hitter Marlon Anderson walked and pinch-hitter Endy Chavez grounded out, moving the runners to second and third.
Schneider batted for Feliciano and doubled to right-center. The NL East-leading Phillies were booed off the field at the end of the inning.
The Mets earned some payback after blowing the game in the ninth on Friday.
"Last night it seemed the game was taken away from us," Schneider said. "We didn't want that to happen again tonight."
There was a 14-minute rain delay in the top of the ninth. The Mets scored three times, capped by an RBI single from Chavez.
Phillies starter Jamie Moyer allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings and is winless in his last four starts.
"Our bullpen's done an outstanding job for us. It's why we are where we are," Moyer said. "The effort was there, we just fell short. Our bullpen's been a big plus for me."
Just not on this night.
Maine, who flirted with the first no-hitter in Mets' history last season, retired the first 10 batters. The perfect outing ended in the fourth when he hit Shane Victorino, then walked Chase Utley.
Philadelphia's first hit was a huge one - Howard went the other way to left for his 23rd home run that tied the game at 3. Howard is one shy of the NL home run lead (Utley, 24) and the slugging first baseman leads the league with 76 RBIs.
"I thought I was totally hitting my spots and the one time I missed my spot bad, he hit a three-run home run," Maine said.
The Mets scored twice in the fourth to go up 3-0. David Wright doubled and stole third and Carlos Beltran walked. Moyer had Beltran picked off and caught in a rundown, but Howard fired the ball into left for a throwing error that scored Wright. Easley had a run-scoring single up the middle.
Jose Reyes and Ryan Church opened the game with consecutive singles, putting runners on the corners. Wright grounded into a double play for a 1-0 lead.
Notes: Phillies first-round draft pick Anthony Hewitt was at the game. Hewitt, projected as a third baseman, was the 24th overall pick and will begin his professional career playing for the Phillies' Gulf Coast League affiliate in Clearwater, Fla. ... Manuel said he was giving "strong consideration" to moving Beltran to the No. 2 spot in the lineup. He batted fourth on Saturday.
