manager Terry Collins said before Monday nights game ag

NEW YORK -- Just when the Mets were beginning to build some late-season momentum, three recurring injuries stalled them again.A.J. Ellis got a big hit in his Philadelphia debut, breaking a seventh-inning tie with a two-run double Sunday that sent the Phillies to a 5-1 victory over New York.Vince Velasquez and four relievers quieted a streaking Mets lineup that was minus ailing sluggers Yoenis Cespedes (quad) and Neil Walker (back).New York also lost hot-hitting shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera in the first inning. He exited with soreness in his left knee, a problem area that sidelined him twice earlier this year.With the way all of a sudden weve played here in the last four or five days, it took a little air out of the balloon, manager Terry Collins said.New York had won three straight and six of seven. But after outscoring Philadelphia 21-5 in the first two games of the series, the Mets squandered their chance to sweep and stayed 2 1/2 games behind St. Louis in a tight race for the second NL wild card.The way I see it, we won two of three here, won two of three in St. Louis and (weve) got a good opportunity here with Miami coming in to do some damage, Walker said. Hopefully, all is well with everybody thats kind of banged up and we can throw a good lineup out there.Collins indicated the injuries to Cespedes, Walker and Cabrera could necessitate daily maintenance for the rest of the season.Well have to continue to monitor how they feel each day, the manager said.Cabrera aggravated his knee when he collided with first baseman Tommy Joseph while beating out a bunt single. As Joseph reached for Velasquezs high throw, Cabreras left arm made contact with Josephs left hip. Cabrera appeared to twist awkwardly after the collision.At first it seemed Cabrera hurt his wrist, and he initially remained in the game. But he was noticeably limping as he advanced to second on Kelly Johnsons single. And after that, Cabrera was removed from the game and escorted to the dugout by trainer Ray Ramirez.Cabrera missed 17 games with a strained patella tendon in his left knee, returning from the disabled list with Cespedes on Aug. 19. The switch-hitter was batting .438 (14 for 32) with three homers and nine RBI since returning to the lineup.Wilmer Flores pinch-ran for Cabrera and scored on Curtis Grandersons sacrifice fly before remaining in the game at third base. Jose Reyes shifted over to shortstop.Youve just got to keep fighting, Collins said. Youve just got to keep trying to get guys rested, keep them as healthy as you can and if they cant go, run somebody else out there and you hope that they come through for you when you need them.New York scratched out a mere four singles over the final eight innings.With the score 1-all in the seventh, Philadelphia loaded the bases with nobody out on singles by Joseph, Aaron Altherr and Jimmy Paredes off Robert Gsellman (1-1), who was very effective to that point in his first major league start.Hes got good stuff, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. He really mixed his pitches well. I liked what I saw from him.The rookie left to a nice round of applause from the crowd of 32,033, and gave way to Hansel Robles.Ellis drove Robles fourth pitch over Grandersons head in left field, scoring Joseph and Altherr with his first hit for the Phillies. The veteran catcher was acquired Thursday from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade for longtime Philadelphia backstop Carlos Ruiz.Pinch-hitter Peter Bourjos was hit by a pitch from Robles with the bases loaded, forcing in another run.Cesar Hernandez added a sacrifice fly to make it 5-1.David Hernandez (3-3) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.Philadelphia squandered two chances to score early in the game, when Freddy Galvis was thrown out at home on a failed safety squeeze and Altherr was cut down at the plate on Paredes fourth-inning RBI double.TRAINERS ROOMMets: LHP Steven Matz (shoulder) threw a bullpen and is expected to throw another one before coming off the disabled list to start Thursday against Miami rather than Wednesday, Collins said.UP NEXTRHP Rafael Montero (0-0, 11.57 ERA) has the difficult task of facing All-Star RHP Jose Fernandez (13-7, 2.91) in his first big league start of the season as the Mets begin an important four-game series with Miami at Citi Field. Montero will be recalled from Double-A Binghamton on Monday and last pitched in the majors on April 19. He struggled at Triple-A Las Vegas, but had a 1.70 ERA in eight starts at Binghamton. Connor McGovern Youth Jersey . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. Randall Cobb Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. https://www.cowboyssportsgoods.com/Womens-Amari-Cooper-Inverted-Jersey/ . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. DeMarcus Ware Cowboys Jersey . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. Emmitt Smith Jersey . Brazilian national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has confirmed that the veteran goalkeeper is set to join Toronto on loan, saying it will help him be ready for the World Cup. NEW YORK -- Slumping outfielder Jay Bruce is out of the New York Mets starting lineup for the second straight game.Acquired by the Mets from Cincinnati at the Aug. 1 trade deadline, Bruce is hitting .181 with four homers and 11 RBI in 38 games with New York.We just told Jay yesterday, look, were going to get you out of here. Just back off for a couple of days, catch your break and get back in there, manager Terry Collins said before Monday nights game against Atlanta.Collins compared the respite to his late-July decision to give a few days off to second baseman Neil Walker, who was in a 9-for-58 (.155) slide. Walker rebounded to hit .426 (40 for 94) over the next month before a back injury that required season-ending surgery.Collins also said left-hander Steven Matz, who has not pitched since AAug.dddddddddddd 14 because of shoulder tightness, may throw a Wednesday bullpen session in New York rather than at the teams spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, Florida.Matz could rejoin the rotation for Sundays game against Philadelphia, the Mets home finale. He would be limited to 40-50 pitches.Hes not ready to go real far, so we need to make sure were not just taking a short in the dark here and starting a guy that we can get only get two innings out of, Collins said.Matz would follow Noah Syndergaard, who is lined up to pitch Saturday and Sept. 30 at Philadelphia, which would line him up to start the NL wild-card game on Oct. 5 with normal four days rest. ' ' '