NL RECAP FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- For eight innings, Curt Schilling was putting on quite an audition. In the ninth, the Mets made sure he did not earn a winning role. The Philadelphia Phillies ace took a four-run lead into the bottom of the ninth inning but saw the New York Mets rally behind a two-run homer by Robin Ventura and John Olerud's two-out, two-run single to pull out a stirring 5-4 victory. New York, which had split the first two games of the series, did little against Schilling (7-2) over the first eight innings, managing just seven singles. The disgruntled starter, who criticized Phillies management earlier this week and whose name is often mentioned in trade rumors, toyed with the Met hitters, striking out seven. But in the ninth, they sent nine men to the plate and Olerud capped the Mets' fifth win in their last at-bat this season by singling sharply to left to score Luis Lopez and Roger Cedeno. Cedeno slid in just ahead of the throw of left fielder Ron Gant and under the tag of catcher Mike Lieberthal. "It was a tough loss," said Schilling. "You need to get 27 outs. There is no excuse, I had a 4-0 lead. There is no way you should choke with a four-run lead, I don't care who you are. I thought I made some bad pitches and I thought they hit some good pitches." "I thought he had complete control of the game," Phillies manager Terry Francona said. "Regardless of who is available, that is his game. I like Schilling's chances. It's not a lack of confidence in the guys in the bullpen, it's a lot of confidence in the guy on the mound." Rigo Beltran (1-0) notched the victory with two hitless innings in relief of starter Rick Reed. "Today was a weird day," said Mets manager Bobby Valentine, noting that the start of the game was delayed almost two hours by rain. "One of those days where you sit around wondering if we should even play. Then you sit around for another hour then you say ... 'let's miss Schilling and maybe he'll be in the American League by the time we play them again.'" Schilling, who was seeking his fourth straight complete game, threw 138 pitches in losing for the first time since April 21. Schilling appeared to have things well in hand entering the ninth. But Mike Piazza singled and Ventura crushed his ninth homer over the right-field wall to halve the deficit. Brian McRae bounced out but Matt Franco singled up the middle. Luis Lopez was hit by a 1-2 pitch and pinch-hitter Jermaine Allensworth grounded a single into left to cut the Mets' deficit to 4-3. Cedeno lined back to the mound and Schilling was able to force Allensworth at second. Cedeno took second on defensive indifference and Edgardo Alfonzo was hit by a 1-2 pitch to load the bases. Olerud then laced the first pitch he saw from Schilling into left field. Gant fielded the ball on the hop and fired to the plate. The ball just beat Cedeno but Lieberthal was on the first-base side of the plate and Cedeno got in just ahead of the tag. Olerud, who has hit in 13 straight games, improved to 8-for-18 in his career versus Schilling. The four-run ninth-inning comeback was the Mets largest since overcoming a six-run deficit against Montreal on September 13, 1997. New York handed Philadelphia just its second loss in 14 day games. Philadelphia got to Reed in the third. Alex Arias singled with one out and Schilling bunted him over. Doug Glanville singled to left for one run and Kevin Jordan walked. Scott Rolen, who had been 0-for-12 against Reed, blooped a single to right-center for a 2-0 lead. Lieberthal's one-out double in the fourth scored Gant and extended the Phillies edge to 3-0. New York had a chance to get back in the game in the sixth when Alfonzo and Olerud opened the inning with singles. But Schilling got the next three batters in order. Lieberthal opened the seventh with a double and scored on Glanville's two-out infield single. Glanville leads all NL leadoff hitters in hitting with men in scoring position. Reed allowed four runs and nine hits over seven innings. --=-=-- 