By Jim Scott
DNAinfo Senior Editor
MANHATTAN — The banged up New York Mets pitching staff has gotten an unexpected lift from the Far East.
Japanese lefty Hisanori Takahashi pitched six shutout innings and Rod Barajas drove in three runs as the Mets blanked the Philadelphia Phillies 5-0 for the second straight day, on Wednesday at Citi Field.
Takahashi (4-1) held the potent Phillies line up to five hits and struck out six to pick up his fourth win of the season.
“He’s a great pitcher with great instincts,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel told the Associated Press. “He had great command of his pitches.”
Takahashi was brilliant for the second consecutive start. The 35-year-old southpaw blanked the Yankees for six innings, but failed to earn a decision in his last start in the Mets 2-1 loss to the Yankees on last Friday.
Barajas had a sacrifice fly in the second inning Wednesday to push the Mets first run across the plate. The Mets catcher added a two-run double in the sixth inning to chase Phillies starter Joe Blanton from the game and extend New York's lead to 4-0.
Takahahi's gem comes a day after Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey shut out the Phillies out for six inning in an 8-0 win on Tuesday.
Mike Pelfrey (6-1) will take the mound for New York in the final game of the three-game series against Philadelphia on Thursday. The Mets (26-25) have won four in a row against the Yankees and Phillies to pull within three games of Philadelphia in the NL East.
