After ending the first half of the season with an 8-2 record on a 10 game home-stand, and going only 5-5 on the road to start off the second half, the New York Mets were relieved to be returning to Citi Field on Tuesday night. The Mets picked up right where they had left off chasing Phillies' starter – A.J. Burnett – for 4 runs in the first inning en route to a 7-1 victory.

It started early for the Mets' ball club as Burnett issued a lead off walk to Curtis Granderson in the bottom of the 1st inning. Granderson was then chased home two batters later on a Daniel Murphy RBI double giving the Mets a 1-0 advantage. Lucas Duda followed Murphy with a RBI single and after a Travis d'Arnaud double, Juan Lagares snapped a 0-17 hitless streak with a two-run double that put the Mets ahead 4-0.

That is all 41 year-old Bartolo Colon needed as he returned to the mound following a near perfect outing. Colon scattered ten hits over 7 2/3 innings allowing only one Philadelphia run and one walk while striking out six. He only saw one 1,2,3 inning but he commanded the strike zone all night with his two-seam fastball earning him his 10th victory of the season.

The Phillies' only offense came off from a Carlos Ruiz RBI double in the top of the 8th inning that scored Domonic Brown. Philadelphia out hit New York 13-9 in the game but were unable to scrounge up any sort of offense with runners on base. Both Marlon Byrd and Carlos Ruiz had four-hits in the game for the Phillies and Ryan Howard struck out to end the game with the bases loaded in the top of the 9th.

The Mets put the game out of reach in the bottom of the 5th inning when Burnett walked Lucas Duda on four pitches and Chris Young single up the middle to bring Travis d'Arnaud to the plate. d'Arnaud continued his resurgence to the major leagues as he hit the first pitch from A.J. Burnett into the left field bleachers for a three-run home run.

The New York Mets are now four games under .500 (51-55) and are 13-6 in their last 19 games played. With two months left to go in the season, the Mets are still clinging onto a chance of a playoff berth. 8.0 out of first place in the NL East and 6.5 games back of the last Wild Card spot, Mets still have hope with such a long way left to go.

The New York Mets (51-55) and Philadelphia Phillies (46-60) will square off again tomorrow night as Dillon Gee (4-3 3.49 ERA) looks to get back on track for New York against Cole Hamels (5-5 2.72 ERA).