PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — Christian Scott pitched five and two-thirds innings of three-hit, scoreless ball and Francisco Alvarez homered twice, leading the New York Mets to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.

Scott, who entered with a 2-1 record and had allowed no earned runs in his previous start against Kansas City, struck out seven and walked one. He retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced and did not allow a hit until J.T. Realmuto’s one-out single in the third inning. Scott worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the sixth when he struck out Brandon Marsh to end the threat.

The Mets, who had lost three straight coming into the game, improved to 41-57. The Phillies fell to 54-44. The announced attendance was 40,109, and the game lasted 2 hours, 37 minutes.

Alvarez gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in the third inning when he drove a 1-2 pitch from Aaron Nola over the center-field wall for his 10th home run of the season. The solo shot came with two outs and was the only run through the first six innings.

New York broke the game open in the seventh. Brett Baty led off with his fifth home run of the year, a solo shot to right-center off Nola. Alvarez followed two pitches later with his second homer of the night, a line drive to left, pushing the lead to 3-0.

Alvarez went 2 for 3 with the two home runs and two RBIs. Baty finished 2 for 4 with a home run and an RBI.

Nola took the loss, allowing three earned runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out six and walked three. Nola fell to 3-7 on the season.

The Phillies got their only run in the eighth inning. Trea Turner led off against Luke Weaver with a solo home run to left, his 11th of the year, cutting the deficit to 3-1.

New York answered in the top of the ninth. Jared Young led off with a walk, and after two outs, A.J. Ewing doubled to left, scoring Young to make it 4-1.

Devin Williams pitched a scoreless ninth inning, striking out one and earning his 14th save of the season.

The Mets used five pitchers overall. Brooks Raley got one out in the sixth, Huascar Brazobán pitched a scoreless seventh, and Weaver allowed one run on one hit in the eighth. Williams closed it out.

The Phillies managed only four hits. Bryce Harper doubled in the fourth, Kyle Schwarber doubled in the sixth, and Turner had the home run. Realmuto also singled.

The game featured two pivotal defensive plays for the Mets. In the top of the first, Bo Bichette grounded into a double play, erasing a Juan Soto single. In the fifth, with runners on first and second and one out, A.J. Ewing lined into an unassisted double play, with first baseman Bryce Harper catching the liner and stepping on the bag to double off Alvarez.

The most important sequence of the game came in the bottom of the sixth. After Schwarber doubled and Harper walked with two outs, Scott struck out Marsh on three pitches to end the inning and preserve the 1-0 lead. Scott threw 96 pitches, 68 for strikes, before being lifted for Raley.

New York’s Scott had won his previous start July 8 against Kansas City, going five innings with three hits and no earned runs. He lost July 3 at Atlanta, allowing three earned runs in four innings. His performance Friday marked his second straight start without allowing an earned run.

The Mets had lost the first two games of their previous series against Boston and had dropped four of five overall. The win snapped a three-game skid.

Philadelphia had won three of four coming in, including a 5-0 shutout of Detroit on Sunday.

The two teams continued a season series that has seen the Phillies take five of the previous six meetings dating to June 18. The Phillies won two of three at Citi Field in late June, and the Mets took two of three at Citizens Bank Park in mid-June.

The game Friday was the first of a three-game set. The teams play again Saturday and Sunday before the Mets travel to Milwaukee and the Phillies host the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Philadelphia Phillies 5, New York Mets 4.