Blond bombshells make history with homers

NEW YORK — The play that did not show up in either the box score or the record books unfolded in the eighth inning Friday, with the Mets’ 9-4 win over the Phillies already largely in hand.

Maikel Franco squirted a ground ball down the third-base line, where Jose Reyes attempted, unsuccessfully, to barehand it. As all of this was happening, Asdrubal Cabrera raced over from shortstop, positioning himself to grab the ball, dive toward third base and force out Aaron Altherr advancing from second.

That play may not have been as impactful as the two home runs that Cabrera hit, becoming the first Met since Carlos Beltran in 2011 to go deep from both sides of the plate in one game. Nor did it offer the same sort of jolt as his and Reyes’ back-to-back homers, which made them just the second set of Mets teammates to open a game with consecutive solo shots.

But it was exactly the sort of thing the Mets are seeking as they look to grapple their way up the National League Wild Card standings. It was a hard-nosed, heads-up, alert sort of play — pick your cliché. Cabrera called it instinct. The Mets called it an ingredient for success.

“He’s played very well since …

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