PHILADELPHIA — Brett Myers' pinch-hit appearance drew laughs in the dugout. Chris Coste's clutch hit gave them reason to celebrate.

Coste hit a bases-loaded RBI single in the bottom of the 13th inning to score Shane Victorino as the Philadelphia Phillies overcame a 7-0 deficit to beat the New York Mets, 8-7, last night and retake the lead in the NL East.

"We stayed after them," manager Charlie Manuel said. "A lot of things happened, everything except a fight."

Fernando Tatis hit a three-run homer and the Mets staked Pedro Martinez to a 7-1 lead going to the bottom of the fifth. But the Phillies scored four runs off Martinez, who left after the inning, and rallied against a bullpen that has blown 10 leads in the ninth inning, according to Stats LLC.

The Mets have 22 blown saves overall, including seven by injured All-Star closer Billy Wagner. This one might have been the most devastating.

"People are going to have to get people out," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "We'll keep doing it until we find the right way."

Ryan Howard hit his league-leading 35th homer and Jimmy Rollins was 5 for 7 with a two-run shot for Philadelphia, which moved a half-game ahead of the Mets with its ninth win in 11 games.

Victorino, a St. Anthony alum from Maui, lined a triple down the right-field line to start Philadelphia's 13th against Scott Schoeneweis (2-3). After Jayson Werth and Eric Bruntlett were intentionally walked, Myers was called upon to bat for Rudy Seanez (5-3). Myers, the second starting pitcher to pinch-hit for Philadelphia, struck out looking at a 3-2 pitch after being instructed not to swing.

Myers did his best in the batter's box to distract Schoeneweis, digging in, bailing out and looking pitches all the way into the catcher's mitt.

"I think the whole ballpark knew he wasn't going to swing, but he put on a good show," Coste said. "It was intimidating in the on-deck circle."

Coste then drove one to center way over the head of the drawn-in Carlos Beltran for his first career game-winning hit at any level. He finished 4 for 4, despite entering the game in the eighth inning.

REPLAYS

VIDEOS START TOMORROW

Replay ball!

Umpires will be allowed to check video on home run calls starting tomorrow after Major League Baseball, guardian of America's most traditional sport, reversed its decades-long opposition to instant replay.

"Like everything else in life, there are times that you have to make an adjustment," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said following yesterday's announcement. "My opposition to unlimited instant replay is still very much in play. I really think that the game has prospered for well over a century now doing things the way we did it."

The 74-year-old Selig, who described himself as "old fashioned" and an admirer of baseball's "human element," softened his opposition following a rash of blown calls this year.

For now, video will be used only on so-called "boundary calls," such as determining whether fly balls went over the fence, whether potential home runs were fair or foul and whether there was fan interference on potential home runs.

"Any time you try to change something in baseball, it's both emotional and difficult," Selig said. "There's been some concern that, well, if you start here, look what it's going to lead to. Not as long as I'm the commissioner."

SHORT HOPS

Boston placed outfielder J.D. Drew on the 15-day disabled list yesterday with a lower back strain. ... Washington placed outfielder Austin Kearns on the 15-day disabled list yesterday with to a stress fracture in his left foot and reinstated outfielder Elijah Dukes, who missed 19 games with strained right calf.