Friday: 2008 Mets have risen to Phillies' challenge

After losing their final eight games to the Phils in '07, the Mets have bounced back to go 10-5 against their division rival and are playing confident, crisp baseball headed into this pivotal weekend series.

While the focus here has been determining how many wins are needed to keep playoff hopes alive, the Mets are focused on putting the Phillies away for good. And for all the talk about how our team -- blessed with good health and few barriers -- has allowed the division lead to slip away, it’s as much about the Mets, who’ve overcome numerous setbacks, playing the best ball of the season when it counts most.

While the Phillies were splitting in Chicago and losing two-out-of-three to Washington, the Mets capped a 6-2 road trip with a sweep in Milwaukee, making it 17 wins in their last 22 games. How have they done it? Unlike the Phils, they’ve aligned quality pitching with hot hitting. Even their depleted ’pen has managed 15 1-3 consecutive scoreless innings. Meanwhile, the Phils haven't fired on all cylinders since June.

With 22 games to play and a three game lead,there's still room for the Mets to repeat their historic 2007 collapse. The problem is the hot Mets and inconsistent Phils show few signs of repeating their respective 10-13 and 16-7 finishes from a year ago.

Comments

[The Truth Injection]

Clout mentioned the possibility of a September 29th date for the make-up of tomorrow's game.

Unless my projections are way off that would put Hamels on the mound for us again again Perez for the Mets.

[MG]

With the possibility of a day/night doubleheader (and the likelihood this means a split at the best), Phils almost have to win tonight's matchup.

Even talks about Myers' ERA since the ASB, but the reality is that he has got hit hard his last two starts and been missing with his fastball more. Myers needs to be crisp (2-3 runs) tonight and go 7. Anything less from Myers and I don't see the Phils winning tonight's game.

[Met Fan]

I am not sure if they would do that seeing that people in Ny have invested hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to make sure they are at the last regular season game at shea... I think that would bother a lot of people. I would think a day/night doubleheader is more likely on Sunday.

[MG]

Yeah the bullpen has some timely blowouts in the 8th inning for the Phils the past few weeks but the reality is that this offense since the start of August has been scoring at a below average rate.

Don't expect the Phils to blow out the Mets in any game but they do need to show up this series. No games where they are silent until late and then scrap out 1 or 2 runs late to make their final score look more respectable.

[MG]

Good point Met fan. That is the kind of post that actually brings something to the table.

[Cipper]

I have a feeling that if the Phillies don't take at least 2 this weekend, it could mean the beginning of football season... and I'm not ready for that yet.

[BENTZ]

Can anyone tell me the last time the Phillies swept a doubleheader? I know they were swept by the Mets in late June at home last year. I remember them splitting both DHs against the Braves in September 2006 on back-to-back days. They split one with the Dodgers in the beginning of the 2006 season. Also, the Phils have not played a DH yet this year, correct?

[J. Weitzel]

Bob Ford's column shames the front office, but if they finish out of the playoffs, isn't it also shame on Ryan Howard? Shame on Jimmy Rollins?

Or this one: Shame on scouts, farm directors and short-changing development. They're a playoff no-brainer if they have the prospects to deal for someone like Sabathia, or Holliday, or Manny. Bridesmaids in every scenario because we don't produce enough young talent.

[Cipper]

just read that column j, and i actually said the same things.

[DavidJose]

Regardless of the outcome this weekend, I'm ecstatic (as a Mets fan) we finally have a TRUE rival. I would even go as far to say the excitement generated between these 2 teams/fanbases have surpassed that of the Cubs/Cards and Dodgers/Giants rivalries.

[Met Fan]

Thanks MG. I think we all know this series is going to be a dog fight... Its going to be down to the wire every game like it always is... Its going to be a draining series and I think both teams are going to refuse to give in at any point.

[bay_area_phan]

Very true about Myers, MG. It's hard to argue with the final results, but he has gotten hit hard in his last 2 starts and needs to be better tonight.

[Don]

I wonder if Bruntlett gets the start tonight in right or any of his other postions for that matter. And to those who defended this yesterday by saying the offense was not the problem in the 9-7 loss. I say that we were out scored by 2 runs so it was a problem. Vic could have easily produced 2 runs some how. I am usely a Charlie defender, but I just can't get over that move.

[bay_area_phan]

Don: Bruntlett only batted twice before Vic came in and replaced him. Do you think Vic would have produced two more runs in two ABs? How was he going to accomplish that? Especially considering he's batting 6th these days and our 7, 8, 9 hitters didn't get a single hit during the time that Bruntlett was in the game?

[GM-Carson]

Although it's technically boil down to this weekend series with the Mets, it sure feels that way and I've never been more scared heading into a series then I am right now. Winning is crucial to say the least.

[NEPP]

We almost need a sweep to have a legit shot here...

[clout]

BAP: Don eveidently doesn't know that Vic is 5 for his last 36

[bay_area_phan]

The Brewers lost again last night and their lead is now 4 games. They've got an almost certain win tonight, with Sabathia pitching against some guy named Josh Geer. But in the 3 games after that, they face Peavy, C. Young, and Volquez. If the Phillies could take 2 of 3 against the Mets, then 2 of 3 against the Marlins, there's a good chance they'd pick up a game on the Brewers. We then face them head-to-head. If we win 3 out of 4, that's 2 more games picked up. And of the Brewers' last 12 games, 6 are against the Cubs. Granted, in that last series, the Cubs will be playing with their Triple A squad. But when you've got Zambrano, Harden, Lilly, & Dempster in your rotation, you're going to be a tough matchup no matter what your starting 8 look like.

[mark]

now that rollins and utley are hitting again, this series comes down to three things:

1. bullpen. (more specifically, the 8th inning).
2. pat burrell.
3. howard's k's. or, to avoid brevity, whether he connects solidly when he takes his wild swinging guesses.

i've left out starting pitching because i feel confident in them.

[Im a Met Fan]

NEPP and GM -- I dont know if i speak for most met fans, but i myself am very scared about this series too. We still have demons to exercise and i dont feel any safer with a 4 game lead than i do now... A 6 game lead would be different but i dont see that happening...

[Im a Met Fan]

Err i should say i WONT feel any safer with a 4 game lead than i do with a 3 game lead

[Steve]

Im a Met Fan: I'll continued to be scared by every series until the Mets can excersize the demons of last year. Even if we manage to take the series against the Phils, i'll be worried about the next two in Washington...then i'll be worried about Atlanta...and then 4 IN Washington..Until the Mets clinch the NL East, no matter how big their lead is, i'll always be scared.

[Manuel]

Im a Met Fan:

pleeeaaaase stop sucking up to philly fans. there are other sites besides metsblog for mets fans. find them. it's so sad to watch you come back to this site day after day.

[Manuel]

and steve:

please stop talking about last year! what about this team makes you think to compare them to last year's team?? look at the way we are playing and have some damn faith.

[Steve]

Manuel: Sorry bro. Can't do it. I realize it's not the same team as last year, and neither are the Phills. But until they win the NL East, i'll be worried.

[BobbyD]

"I'd say this series in New York, we've got to come away with some of them," Charlie Manuel said.

He's not the best color man in the business for nothing.

[The Truth Injection]

Let me preface by saying two things:

1.) I'm well aware this is not the same Mets team that blew last year's lead.

2.) They are 9-1 against the Phillies after game 1 in a series this year

That being said, a win tonight might really help the Phillies if a rainout happens tomorrow. Especially if it's a hard fought game. Instead of getting back out on the field right away the Mets will be forced to sit almost 48 hours before they take the field again. It's quite possible they think, "Here they come again."

[Don]

Gee bap what if someone got on in front of him and he hit a homerun. Maybe I am reading your response wrong but it made absolutley no sense, but that is not out of the ordinary for one of your lame posts. Clout if he is slumping that bad why bring him in at all? No sense of urgency around here at all!

[GM-Carson]

Guys, I'm not trying to be a grammar Nazi, but it's "exorcise" not "exercise" demons. Exercising demons suggests you'd be running demons on a treadmill or having them in aerobics class.

[clout]

Manuel: You ran away the other day when the Phillies won and now I see you're back. Can you tell me why some Mets fans like you are cowardly dogs?

[Steve]

Clout: Be fair now, there are alot of Phillies fans that do the same thing on Met blogs. The best thing to do is not respond to them. I'm sorry I responded to Manuel.

[Manuel]

clout, it's more fun for me to watch your reactions and rationalizations after a loss or a mets win, obviously. i wouldn't say that i'm scared of you guys or that i'm a coward.

i also don't post that much...just when i see something particularly funny or ridiculous.

[Manuel]

steve, i was addressing fellow mets fans. like an intervention.

[phanatic's brother]

mark- hope you didnt just jynx the starting pitching

[Ron Darling]

This series is big, but the series after it loom even bigger.

The Mets are probably going to face a comfortable Cubs team resting their starters and possibly skipping Harden and/or Zambrano. Meanwhile, the Phillies are eventually going to face a Brewers team on the skids and desperate for some wins.

As long as the Mets are up by at least 2 games at the end of this series I'll feel somewhat comfortable.

[Mr. Met]

It only makes sense that self-hating, neurotic Mets fans like Steve come to a Phillies blog to kiss booty. Keep living scared Steve-O, its a priceless way to experience a season and show belief in your team.

[Steve / Im a Met fan]

Oh no, Philly fans. Please don't hurt us Mets fans. Here, take our team pride and confidence, but just don't ruin us like last year. We bow down before the almighty Phillies fan.

[Steve]

I bet you're the only "Mr Met" that has a frown on his baseball head. How about trying to bring something to the table, like baseball knowledge and contribute. I've been a Met fan 35 years. You are probably 15 years old if that.

[clout]

manuel: So you are a gutless hyena who only comes out when the Phillies have lost or the Mets win. It's nice to see you know what you are.

[bay_area_phan]

Don: Thanks for elevating the level of discourse on this board. But I believe you're the one whose post is moronic. The Phillies scored 7 runs and Bruntlett was removed after just 2 ABs, and yet you seem to think that Vic alone could have made up those 2 runs in just 2 ABs.

Why don't you look at the box score before you post? The 6th spot in the lineup had no one on base in either of the first 2 times it came up to the plate. And no one in the 7th, 8th, or 9th spot got a hit until long after Bruntlett was out of the game. So unless your theory is that Vic was going to hit 2 solo homeruns, I'd like to hear how his presence in the lineup would have accounted for 2 additional runs.

I hate Bruntlett & didn't like the decision to start him either. But it's 2 days later and you're still kvetching about a decision that had no impact on the game. They lost this game because of Blanton & the bullpen, not because of Eric Bruntlett. Get over it.

[mark]

phanatic's brother- i like to think that confidence is never a jinx, but i guess my dating record could speak against that mantra...

anyways, anything to divert the comments from this petty sniping, eh?

[Manuel]

clout, you want me to come on after philly wins too? whatever. like i said, i rarely post anyway. it's mostly the self-hating mets fans that come on here that piss me off.

off-topic...i read this blog pretty regularly, and i'd suggest that you learn to deal with your anger a little better. you're a mean, aggressive guy, even to fellow philly phans.

[Mr. Met]

Me with a frown? I am happy and not a jaded, self-hating Mets fan who comes to Bearleaguer to kiss Philth buttchecks like you. Maybe old age has gotten to you since any fool can see this team is 180 degrees different than the 2007 that gave away the NL East to Philadephia with 17 games to go.

[Hitman]

Don,gratuitous personal insults, such as the one directed at BAP, are inappropriate and do not provide a substitute for logical argument. Grow up.

[YouSuck]

I like clout. He's so dumb that his posts are actually entertaining to read. Kinda like a Jessica Simpson movie

[Mr. Met]

BTW, I apologize to the rest of the Phillies phans on this blog for coming here and starting crap. Like Manuel, self-hating Mets fans like Steve annoy the hell out of me. Good luck tonight and may the best team win.

[YouSuck]

Steve is the Vichy Regime of Mets fans.

[MPN]

Manuel: For a guy like you with a thick personality foreskin, I can't imagine why you'd call clout out. clout is a national treasure. You couldn't lift his jock.

[bay_area_phan]

MPN: Maybe we should carve clout's face on Mt. Rushmore.

[Manuel]

"thick personality foreskin" is funny

i wouldn't have called clout out if he hadn't attacked me while i was trying to get two lost mets fans off this site

[Don]

Bap, sorry I shamed the intelligent conversation going on here today with the Met's trolls. Your right I did not scramble back to the box so I could prove I was right. I did not think I had to. Who knows what Vic would have brought to the table that night.
My point was that it was simply a bad choice. You say you feel the same, but you want to argue about it. I just think it is a little late in the season to start Bruntlett no matter how bad Vic is going.

[clout]

Don: There's nothing wrong with that opinion. Cholly decided to give Vic a night off because he's been slumping. The question I raised on the issue is, since Cholly wouldn't let Vic start, who would you have started instead?

[Kingman26]

I see a ton of Mets fans come here and talk a lot of trash but I'll be honest... regardless of my teams collapse last year, only an idiot would think this is over. This series has me more nervous than the last and the only way I'd even feel remotely comfortable is with a sweep. Seeing how that is insanely unlikely, I just hope for 2 wins and would settle for 1. A phillies sweep and quite a few Shea faithful (me included) will be jumping off the Tri-Boro bridge sunday night.

[Don]

Clout, I don't think there was a good option other than Vic. Golson was the only other righty and I know how you feel about him.

[bballscientist-]

Agreed Kingman. There are so many Met fan idiots on here. Most of which were calling for Delgado's head. The same people that said I was on drugs when I said Delgado would have a nice bounceback year.

I don't care if we have beat the phillies 10 out of 15. The Phils are a gritty team, And say if they sweep us, It could totally flip the season back in their favor.

[phReed]

Regardless of what happens, the Phanatic slept with Mrs. Met.

[Steve]

Actually B-ball, if you thought Delgado was going to have a bounce back year before the season began you clearly were on drugs. Congrats as being the only Met fan in this world that didn't think Delgado was finished. lol

[Sophist]

Phils Mets 2008

Mets lead 10-5 (81-62 runs)

10 games decided by 2 runs or less (5 by 1 run.) 10 games won with runs scored in the 7th inning or later.

[philsphan]

Im a Met fan: Do your demons "exercise" on a tread mill or on a bike?

[Sophist]

Delgado's PECOTA for 2008

weighted mean: .269/.347/.490 -- 21 HR -- .280 EqA
50 degree: .263/.341/.476 -- 18 HR -- .276 EqA

2008 actual to date: .260/.346/.496 -- 31 HR -- .293 EqA

Delgado was batting .228/.307/.419 on June 30th. The next day he went 3-3 with 2 2B. Since then he's .304/.398/.603 (57 G.)

[Sophist]

In the 10 games with the Mets decided by 2 runs or less the Phils are 3-7. All 3 wins were by 1 run.

[clout]

sophist what's the breakdown on who won what in this: "10 games won with runs scored in the 7th inning or later." ?

[bballscientist-]

@Steve

Its all in his approach. If delgado goes to left field, along with laying off the pitch up and in then its not rocket science to think he'll come around

[Nick]

I'm sorry but the phils commentary has to go. Everyone sucks, especially Kallis. Watching a phillies game is very very boring.

[Im a Met Fan]

philsphan -- honestly i never knew that using exercise in that sense was incorrect. in fact never knew exorcise was a word... but whoever brought that up prior to you definitely gave me a chuckle...

Manuel -- If you wanna call me a kiss ass feel free, but i respect the fact that this is a phillies blog... i am also a pessimistic fan due to the fact i have never witnessed a championship from any of my teams. I have stated i feel this mets team is different, but if this philly offense comes alive, it can be argued that they are better than the mets in all three phases of the game. BP, Rotation, and Offense especially if Myers stays hot. Now those are a few if's but we also have a few of our own.