Mets drop to second place behind Phillies…..Johan Santana gives away four homeruns in the 11-5 loss….

The Mets took the first game of the series against the Phillies….and looked good…

They got their butts kicked in the second game….

They looked good in the lat game until the fourth inning…..

[ New York Mets starting pitcher Johan Santana allows a career-high 10 runs against the Phillies and ties a career-worst with four homers, including a grand slam to Shane Victorino…. ]
Santana was hammered for four home runs in all – including a grand slam by Shane Victorino following a bases-loaded walk to ancient pitcher Jamie Moyer, and a two-run knockout blow by Chase Utley in the fourth – as the Mets were bludgeoned back to earth for the second straight game after winning their eighth in a row in Friday’s series opener.

Santana’s career-worst 10-run meltdown exceeded by one the nine he’d allowed June 14 of last season against the Yankees in the Bronx. The previous Met pitcher to cough up 10 or more runs in one start also came in this ballpark, when the Phils plated 11 off Orlando Hernandez here in August 2006.

Perhaps the most discouraging aspect for the Mets, who will turn to Oliver Perez and John Maine in their next two games in Cincinnati beginning tonight, is that early home runs by David Wright and Rod Barajas had provided Santana a 5-2 lead entering the home fourth.

Wright entered with a .426 career mark in 47 trips against the 47-year-old Moyer and 12 homers at this ballpark, his highest total of any road venue. Wright, who didn’t belt his fifth homer last season until June 30 en route to just 10 overall, reached five already by crushing Moyer’s 76-mph changeup over the wall in left-center for a three-run homer with two outs in the first.

Still, it was evident immediately that Santana wouldn’t duplicate the dominance exhibited Saturday by Halladay, who tossed a three-hit shutout in a 10-0 Phillies rout.

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I agree with the comments guy who asked …How could Jerry leave Santana in long enough to give up that many runs?