Maybe a start against the Philadelphia Phillies is just what Bartolo Colon needed.

The 42-year-old starter had an ERA of 6.08 in his starts since the All-Star Break, along with an opponent batting average of .327 and 53 hits allowed in 40 innings. It's been tough for the New York Mets' starter recently, but he was phenomenal against the Phillies on Wednesday night.

Colon went seven solid innings, shutting out the Phillies on just five hits and eight strikeouts. Colon escaped trouble with ease in the earlier innings, as Philadelphia stranded five runners on base in the first four innings. From then on, it was smooth sailing for Bartolo, who earned his 11th win of the season Wednesday in Citizens Bank Park.

Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff had a tougher time than Colon, that's for sure. In his second career start, Eickhoff, who was acquired by the Phillies in the trade that sent Cole Hamels to the Texas Rangers, launched 40 pitches in the first inning, allowing three runs to the Mets. New York smacked four hits in the inning, including an RBI double by Michael Cuddyer, who drove in the winning hit on Tuesday night, and an RBI single from rookie Michael Conforto.

Eickhoff pitched much better after the first inning, allowing just two hits and one run over the next five frames. The fourth run of the game came in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI single by Juan Uribe, driving in Conforto after he reached on a two-out double.

The Mets extended their lead to six runs in the eighth inning, when Michael Cuddyer followed Daniel Murphy's base hit with his second home run in three games, launching reliever Hector Neris's pitch off the facade of the left field upper deck.

But the Phillies roared back in the bottom of the eighth, punishing the Mets' rickety bullpen, Eric O'Flaherty in particular, for four runs. After an Andres Blanco RBI groundout, Cameron Rupp drove in two more with a double, and Jeff Franceour cut the lead to two with an RBI single up the middle.

The Mets pulled away in the top of the ninth, thanks to an RBI double by Curtis Granderson, an RBI triple by Yoenis Cespedes, and a sacrifice fly by Murphy.
 

Tyler Clippard closed it out for the Metropolitans in the ninth, quietly shutting down the home team in a 1-2-3 inning. With their win and another loss by the Washington Nationals, the Mets now hold a 6.5 game lead in the NL. East.

Tomorrow night the Mets and Phillies will conclude their four-game series, as Jon Niese (8-9, 3.80 ERA) takes on Aaron Harang (5-14, 4.67 ERA) at 7:05 PM EST.