If blowing saves was an art form, then the Mets would have a bullpen full of Leonardo da Vincis. The Mets bullpen, given a 4-1 lead to protect, couldn’t do the job leading to another gut-wrenching loss. The Mets took a 4-0 into the sixth but allowed the Phillies a run in the sixth and three in the seventh to tie the game.

The Phillies won the game in the bottom of the tenth with a walk-off hit from ex-Met Jay Bruce, 5-4 (box score). It was the 20th time this season the Mets have blown a save, the most in the Majors.

The Mets are now 3-7 on this road trip with one more game remaining with the Phils. They are 17-30 on the road.

Today was the Mets’ 81st game, the halfway point, and they drop to a season-low seven games below .500 at 37-44.

Starter Jason Vargas pitched well for the Mets, but was lifted after throwing only 77 pitches. Seth Lugo struggled for his second straight outing and before you could say Groundhog’s Day, the lead had evaporated.

Same script, different day.

Offense

The Mets managed 10 hits against the Phillies on Wednesday.

For the first time this series, the Mets did not score in the first inning. Pete Alonso hit a fly ball to right that Bryce Harper misplayed but was credited with a double, his 18th double of the year. The Mets were unable to bring him around in the opening frame.

Dominic Smith singled in the second inning but again the Mets did not score. Smith, as of this at-bat, has five hits in eleven plate appearances in this series.

The Mets left two runners on in the third. Jason Vargas left off the inning with a single, his second hit of the year. Jeff McNeil followed with a walk putting runners on first and second with no one out. But Pete Alonso flied out, Robinson Cano grounded out and Michael Conforto popped out to end the inning.

New York took the lead in the fourth on a solo home run by Smith to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. Smith has homered in three straight games and now has seven round-trippers for the year. His OPS now stands at 1.031. The Mets nearly went back-to-back as Amed Rosario hit a 400-foot shot to the center field wall that was run down by center fielder Scott Kingery.

Jeff McNeil led off the fifth with a solo homer to left center to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. It was McNeil’s sixth home run of the year and it raised his BA to .349. Alonso followed with his second hit of the game. He promptly stole second. It was the first stolen base in Alonso’s career.

The Mets scored in their third straight innings scoring two runs in the sixth to make the score 4-0. Smith and Rosario opened the top of the sixth with walks. Smith then stole second, like Alonso’s, his first of the year, and went to third on a throwing error by J.T. Realmuto.

With runners on the corners, Tomas Nido singled to right to give the Mets their third run, It was Nido’s eighth RBI of the season. After Vargas struck out, McNeil doubled to right, his second hit of the game, to score Rosario to chase home the Mets fourth run. It was McNeil’s 30th RBI of the year.

Smith singled to center in the seventh for his third hit of the game. The inning ended though as Dominic was a little over eager and tried to steal again and was picked off.

The Mets were unable to get a hit in either the eighth or ninth innings.

The Mets faced the sixth pitcher of the night for the Phils in the tenth, Edgar Garcia, but went quietly.

Mc Neil, Nido, Smith, and Alonso all had multi-hit games for the Mets.

Pitching

Jason Vargas was on the hill for the Mets making his 14th start of the year.

Vargas was in command from the start. He gave up a double to Jay Bruce in the second but then settled down to retire 11 Phillies in a row. Through the first 6 innings, he struck out ten, matching a career high.

Jason was tagged for a run in the bottom of the sixth as Jean Segura homered to deep right to cut the Mets lead to 4-1. It was only the second hit of the game for Philadelphia.

J.T. Realmuto led off the seventh with a double and went to third on a deep fly-out off the bat off Jay Bruce. After the fly-out, Vargas was taken out of the game on a double switch and Seth Lugo came in to pitch. On Lugo’s very first pitch, he hung a curveball to Cesar Hernandez and Hernandez promptly doubled to right center to score Realmuto and make the score 4-2.

After a walk to Brad Miller, Lugo struck out Kingery, but Nido couldn’t catch the curveball and Kingery reached first safely on the wild pitch. Segura was up next and he delivered a single to score Hernandez and Miller to tie the game 4-4. It was the 19th blown save of the year for the Mets. Lugo struck out Rhys Hoskins to end the inning but the damage was done.

Vargas’ final line was: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 10 K, 77 pitches.

Robert Gsellman entered the game in the bottom of the eighth. He recorded the first two outs but two infield singles made things nerve-wracking. But the Mets escaped unscathed as pinch hitter Sean Rodriguez fouled out to end the inning.

Edwin Diaz came in to pitch the ninth. This was his first appearance since the second game against Chicago on June 21. Diaz struck out two in a clean inning to send the game to extra innings. To that point, Mets pitchers had struck out 15 Phillies.

Stephen Nogosek, the fifth Mets pitcher, made his fourth major league appearance in the tenth. Hoskins led off by drawing his league-leading 57th walk. Realmuto singled to center to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Jay Bruce doubled to deep center to score Hoskins with the winning run.

On Deck

The Mets conclude their four-game series with the Phils, as well as their 11-game road trip, with a matinee tomorrow at 1:05 PM. Zack Wheeler (6-5, 4.69 ERA) will pitch for New York. Last Saturday, Wheeler pitched a gem versus the Cubs allowing only one run on five hits in seven innings pitched, getting the win. He’ll be making his 17th start of the year.

Aaron Nola will be also be making his 17th start of the year for the Phillies on Thursday. Last Friday he pitched well, but lost a 2-1 decision to the Miami Marlins. He gave up only one earned run and six hits in eight IP. He does have a bloated 5.55 ERA in his four starts in June.

The afternoon tilt will be telecast on SNY and broadcast on WCBS 880-AM.