Phillies rally late to finish sweep of Mets

Pat Burrell broke out of a slump by doing what he does best -- breaking the hearts of the New York Mets.

Burrell hit a game-tying home run in the ninth against New York closer Billy Wagner, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins combined for the go-ahead run in the 10th and the Philadelphia Phillies completed a three-game sweep with a 6-3 win Thursday night.

Philadelphia, which started 4-11, is five games back of the first-place Mets and a game back of second-place Atlanta in the East Division.

“There’s been a lot of hype about this team, the expectations and all, and we haven’t lived up to them,” Burrell said.

“Games like tonight, series like this can carry us on.”

Philadelphia swept a three-game set from the Mets for the first time since September 2004.

Carlos Delgado, David Wright and Paul Lo Duca hit consecutive homers against Cole Hamels in the sixth inning to give the Mets a 3-2 lead, and they were three outs from ending their first three-game losing streak of the season.

But Burrell hit the 37th homer of his career against the Mets leading off the ninth against Wagner, his former teammate, to tie it at 3-3.

“They caught us at a good time,” Wagner said.

For Wagner, it ended a string of 31 consecutive successful save opportunities. For Burrell, whose average had fallen below .220, it was his 17th homer at Shea Stadium.

“It’s one of those things,” Burrell said. “I can’t explain.”