Zack Wheeler pitched seven scoreless innings against his former team and the Philadelphia Phillies held on for a 4-2 victory over the host New York Mets Sunday afternoon to salvage a split of a tight four-game series.

Wheeler (6-4) made his sixth start against the Mets, with whom he won 44 games from 2013-19, and rebounded nicely from his shortest start of the season (three innings against Washington Nationals on June 22). The right-hander allowed four hits and two walks, producing his fifth scoreless outing this season.

Wheeler also struck out eight to temporarily take over the National League lead in strikeouts. His 130 strikeouts are one ahead of Trevor Bauer, who pitches Monday for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants.

It was the 10th time this season Wheeler pitched at least seven innings. His stellar outing occurred after Philadelphia experienced bullpen collapses in each of the series' first three games that were all decided by one run.

Jose Alvarado allowed Pete Alonso's RBI single in the eighth but ended the frame with two strikeouts. Archie Bradley allowed a one-out homer to Kevin Pillar in the ninth but converted his first save in two chances.

Nick Maton, who ended Mets' ace Jacob deGrom's 31-inning scoreless streak Saturday, accounted for three Philadelphia runs. He hit an RBI double in the third off Marcus Stroman (6-6) and scored two runs.

Stroman, who left his previous start due to a sore left hip, labored through three innings. He allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits. He struck out three and walked three.

Corey Oswalt kept the Mets in the game with four scoreless innings in relief of Stroman, but New York mustered little against Wheeler until nearly mounting a comeback in the late innings.

The Mets had their biggest chance in the fifth when Billy McKinney hit a leadoff single and Pillar walked, but Wheeler ended the inning by retiring Jeff McNeil.

After getting robbed of hits thanks to diving catches by center fielder Pillar and right fielder Michael Conforto in the first, the Phillies went ahead in the second inning.

With one out, Maton walked and advanced on a single by Ronald Torreyes. Wheeler then reached on a misplay when second baseman McNeil dropped a toss from Stroman at first base on a sacrifice bunt and Maton scored the first run on Odubel Herrera's sacrifice fly.

--Field Level Media