PHILADELPHIA -- Jay Bruce is all the offense the New York Mets have right now, and that is all they needed for the second consecutive night.

Bruce hit two homers, including a go-ahead, two-run, two-out, eighth-inning shot to right field to send the Mets to a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.

It was Bruce's 21st career multi-home run game and second against the Phillies.

"Consistent approach, consistent routine and looking for the right pitches," Bruce said. "Tonight just happened to be me. It's going to be plenty of other guys all year long."

The right fielder is starting to heat up while his teammates still struggle to find consistently. Bruce has homers in back-to-back games -- three total -- with four hits, four RBIs and five runs scored in his last three games.

"I want to be a good player and want to help this team win," Bruce said. "I believe we have a legitimate chance to win the World Series, and I want to be one of the pieces."

The excitement started a few minutes before Bruce cranked his second homer of the game. Phillies reliever Edubray Ramos nearly drilled Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera in the head to lead off the inning, resulting in Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin being ejected.

"I didn't realize that (home plate umpire Allan Porter) gave me a warning," Mackanin said. "I wanted to find out if he gave me a warning. Tied game in the eighth inning I don't expect the pitcher to do something like that. He threw me out for no reason."

Ramos stayed in the game, walked Cabrera, retired two batters and then was relieved by left-hander Joely Rodriguez, who subsequently coughed up the homer to Bruce.

Ramos (0-1) and Cabrera have a history. Cabrera hit a walk-off home run off Ramos in a 9-8 Mets win on Sept. 22, 2015, followed by a bat flip.

"There might have been, probably was (history)," Mackanin said. "I don't think about that during the course of the game. If he did do that intentionally for whatever reason, we don't play that way. It's inappropriate, especially in a tied game in the eighth inning."

Ramos said, through a translator, that the pitch got away from him and he didn't try to hit Cabrera and didn't know why the Mets' shortstop was so upset.

"I didn't even know that was the same guy," Cabrera said. "What happened last year was last year. If you throw at somebody, throw down."

Mets reliever Jerry Blevins (1-0) earned the win and Addison Reed got his second save in as many nights despite allowing a solo home run to Phillies first baseman Brock Stassi, his first career long ball.

Both teams wasted quality starts from their starting pitchers in a game that lived up to its pregame allure of a pitchers' duel between two of the division's bright young righties.

Jerad Eickhoff threw seven nearly spotless frames, allowing three hits, two runs, striking out seven batters but walking four. It was Eickhoff's 10th straight start of allowing three or fewer runs.

After a tedious, two-run first inning, Jacob deGrom settled in for the Mets. He allowed two runs and six hits in six innings while striking out three, including his 500th career strikeout.

"I was struggling with command early on," deGrom said. "The main thing was slowing down and making my pitches when I needed to. It's satisfying to keep the team in the ballgame and win, but you don't want first innings (like that)."

Both starters dealt with heavy first-inning workloads. Eickhoff endured a 21-pitch first frame that included a one-out double but escaped without any damage.

However, deGrom was not as lucky.

The Phillies jumped on deGrom for two runs in a 31-pitch first inning but saw the rally end when Stassi hit into a 1-2-3 inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.

"DeGrom, never seen him before. He threw me a pretty good changeup," Stassi said, "and it would have been nice to be able to go down to first, for sure, and blow the thing open."

Right fielder Michael Saunders drove in left fielder Howie Kendrick with an RBI single with the bases filled, and catcher Cameron Rupp followed with a bases-loaded walk to plate center fielder Odubel Herrera to hand Eickhoff a 2-0 lead.

While Bruce is heating up, the Mets are still looking for offense from third baseman Jose Reyes (0-for-4 on Monday, 1-for-27 to start the season), left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (0-for-4, two strikeouts) and center fielder Curtis Granderson (.208 season average).

"I know it's in there somewhere," Mets manager Terry Collins said of Bruce. "I'm glad it's right now because we're not swinging the bats as a team."

NOTES: Philadelphia demoted RHP Jeanmar Gomez from the closer role before Monday's game. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said RHP Joaquin Benoit will assume the closer duties for now. ... The Phillies announced Pete Rose will be inducted into their Wall of Fame on Aug. 12 against the Mets. ... After going the first six games without committing an error, the Phillies had two on back-to-back plays Monday. ...The Toronto Blue Jays claimed Mets 3B/LF Ty Kelly off waivers Monday after New York designated the 28-year-old for assignment Sunday. ... The Mets assigned OF Juan Lagares (oblique strain) to the St. Lucie Mets, their Class A affiliate, on Monday on a rehab assignment. ... RHP Clay Buchholz (0-1, 7.20 ERA) will make his first home start for the Phillies on Tuesday against New York's Matt Harvey (1-0, 2.70).