MLB: Philadelphia 3, N.Y. Mets 2

PHILADELPHIA, July 4 (UPI) -- Shane Victorino singled in Pedro Feliz from second with two out in the ninth inning Friday, giving the Philadelphia Phillies a 3-2 win over the New York Mets.

The Phillies rallied from a 2-0 deficit to hand the Mets a tough defeat in the opener of a crucial four-game series. New York, currently third in the NL East, dropped 5 1/2 games behind the division-leading Phillies.

New York starter Johan Santana went eight innings in an attempt for his seventh win before turning things over to Duaner Sanchez in the ninth.

Sanchez (3-1) got two quick outs and extra innings loomed before the Phillies struck over the course of just five pitches to produce the game-winner.

Feliz fouled off the first pitch from Sanchez before reaching on a double to deep left. Victorino then stroked a 1-2 pitch to right that brought home Feliz.

That made a winner out of Brad Lidge (2-0) who worked a perfect top of the ninth.

The Mets won four of the first six meetings between the teams this year, but are still stinging from a late-season collapse in 2007 that allowed Philadelphia to capture the division crown.