Mets, Phillies continue NL East battle |
(Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Phillies are trying to make their last trip to Shea Stadium a memorable one. One day after cutting into the New York Mets' lead for the top spot in the division, the two clubs play the middle portion of a three-game series this afternoon in the final meeting between the teams this season.
The Phillies came into Friday's game having lost two of three to lowly Washington and trailing the Mets by three games in the National League East. However, Brett Myers hurled eight shutout innings to lift Philadelphia to a 3-0 win and pull it to within two games of New York.
Myers matched a season high with 10 strikeouts and was staked to an early lead when Shane Victorino scored a first-inning run. Greg Dobbs later added insurance with a two-run homer in the seventh inning to give the Phils just their sixth win in 16 meetings with New York this season.
Philadelphia is also just 3-4 this year at Shea, which will close its doors at season's end. The Phils won seven of nine in New York last season, a big reason they were able to erase a seven-game deficit with 17 games left to play last season en route to winning the NL East title on the final day.
The Phillies are expected to have infielder Tadahito Iguchi with the team today after he reached a contract agreement with the club on Friday. It will be Iguchi's second stint in Philadelphia as the club acquired him from the White Sox during the 2007 season to fill in for an injured Chase Utley. He was hitting just .231 in 81 games with the Padres before being released.
Mike Pelfrey was the hard-luck loser for the Mets, as he gave up three runs -- two earned -- over seven innings. Daniel Murphy doubled twice in the loss, which snapped New York's four-game winning streak.
The Mets will try to rebound this afternoon behind Pedro Martinez, who is 2-0 over his last five starts. That includes a win on Sunday when he bested Florida with six innings of two-run ball.
The 36-year-old righty is 5-3 with a 5.07 earned run average this season, but is pitching to a 3.60 ERA in six home starts.
Martinez is 8-5 with a 3.50 ERA in 24 games lifetime versus the Phils, with all but four of those starts. The three-time Cy Young Award winner got a no- decision in his most recent outing against them, a five-run, five-inning outing on August 26.
Jamie Moyer also got a no-decision for Philadelphia when it clashed with the Mets on August 26. Moyer was tagged for six runs in just three innings, marking the first time in 15 starts he allowed more than three runs.
The 45-year-old lefty rebounded with a win over the Cubs on Sunday, holding their high-powered offense to a pair of runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. That win improved Moyer to 2-0 over his last five starts and 12-7 with a 3.80 ERA this year.
Moyer, who leads the Phils in wins this season, is 6-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 16 career starts against the Mets, and is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts at Shea this year.
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