Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - Mike Pelfrey threw 5 1/3 innings and drove in a pair of runs, helping the New York Mets down the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-4, in the first meeting between the NL East rivals this season.

Pelfrey (3-0) gave up seven hits and four walks, but managed to limit the Phillies to just three runs to get the win as the Mets snapped a two-game slide. Francisco Rodriguez tossed a scoreless ninth inning to notch his fifth save.

"Every game is very important for us, especially when we play against the division," Rodriguez said. "You have to win as many games against them. Now, hopefully we can start a streak and keep playing the way we are right now."

Daniel Murphy hit a two-run homer and Carlos Beltran doubled, walked three times and scored twice for New York, which got the leg up in this year's season series and this three-game set.

The Mets went 11-7 against Philadelphia last season, but finished second in the division behind the eventual World Series champion Phillies for the second consecutive year.

Chan Ho Park (0-1), not a part of the Phillies' team last season, was shelled for seven runs on eight hits and six walks in 4 2/3 innings, as his ERA rose to 8.57.

"I think our pitching definitely has to get better," Phils manager Charlie Manuel said.

Pedro Feliz went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Chase Utley hit his eighth homer of the season for the Phillies, who have lost two in a row following a five-game win streak.

The Mets got to an ineffective Park almost immediately. Alex Cora walked with one away in the first inning, and Murphy followed with a homer just over the right field fence for a 2-0 lead.

Park followed by walking Beltran and David Wright, but managed to get out of the inning on a double-play ball from Ryan Church.

New York added two more runs in the second inning, which Fernando Tatis opened with a base hit. Omir Santos doubled to put both runners in scoring position for Pelfrey, who crushed a ball deep to the power alley in left field. It stayed in the park, but Tatis scored on the sacrifice. Jose Reyes followed with another sac fly for a 4-0 Mets advantage.

Santos plated a run with a sac fly in the third before the Phillies cut into the deficit in the home half. Shane Victorino hit a one-out single and took second on an errant pickoff attempt from Pelfrey. Utley walked, and after Ryan Howard flied out, Jayson Werth walked to load the bases.

Raul Ibanez then reached down and blooped a single just out of the infield, plating Victorino and Utley. Feliz then singled on a hit-and-run to get Werth home and bring Philadelphia within 5-3.

The Phillies got no closer. Beltran opened the fifth with a double and scored on Wright's subsequent single. Park later gave up a two-out double to Tatis and walked Santos before being replaced by Chad Durbin. Pelfrey was the first to face Durbin and got a run home by dumping a single into right field for a 7-3 New York lead.

The Phillies had a chance to get a few runs back in the sixth, with runners on first and second and one out. Jimmy Rollins then hit a ball to shortstop that Reyes bobbled, and his throw to third went past the bag and into foul territory.

Chris Coste, the lead runner, started to go home but turned back to third at the same time Greg Dobbs -- originally at first -- charged into the same base. Coste had no choice but to go home and was easily tagged out, and Philadelphia's rally fizzled from there.

Utley started the seventh inning with a homer off Pedro Feliciano, but after Feliciano navigated out of trouble in that frame, J.J. Putz and Rodriguez each threw a scoreless inning to end the contest.

Game Notes

Each team left nine runners on base...Tatis finished 2-for-4 for the Mets. Reyes and Church were the only New York starters not to have a hit, as they combined to go 0-for-9...Rollins went 0-for-4 and is batting .198 this season.