Weekend Series Preview: Metropolitans @ Phillies

The division rivals meet again this weekend, with the division as tight as it's been all season. The top four teams in the NL East are separated by just 2 games. A loss in the opener for this series would give the Phillies their first 7 game home losing streak since the year Citizens Bank Park opened. The Phillies had a 7 game skid at home from August 12-19, 2004. That loss would also allow the Metropolitans to tie the Phillies in the standings. Below is a look at the pitching match ups and other notes on the series.

Friday, 7:05pm. Livan Hernandez (5-3, 4.04 ERA) vs. Rodrigo Lopez (triple A stats- 5-4, 3.91 ERA). Livan in his career against the Phillies is 10-8 with a 3.36 ERA in 24 games. Hernandez has not yet faced the Phillies while wearing a Metropolitans uniform. Lopez is a former two-time 15 game winner with the Orioles, but he also lead the American League with 18 losses in 2006. This will be Rodrigo's first ML start since having Tommy John surgery following his 2007 season. Lopez has never faced the Metropolitans.

Saturday, 4:10pm. Fernando Nieve (3-1, 2.25 ERA), Jamie Moyer (6-6, 6.05 ERA). Nieve has appeared in 5 games against the Phillies as a reliever. His stats against the Phils in those games- 1 1/3 innings pitched, 5 ER, 2 walks, 1 K, 33.75 ERA. Moyer against the Metropolitans this season is 0-1 with a 9.64 ERA over 14 innings pitched in 3 starts. Moyer has pitched more than 6 innings in only one start this season. Moyer has won his last two starts, after winning only 1 of his previous 9 starts.

Sunday, 1:35pm. Johan Santana (9-6, 3.34 ERA) vs. Joe Blanton (4-4, 5.08 ERA). Johan against the Phils this season- 2-0, 3.21 ERA. Johan is undefeated in his career against the Phillies...4-0, 2.95 ERA in 8 starts. Pedro Feliez, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins are a combined 14-for-91 (.154 avg) with 4 homers and 6 RBI against Santana in their careers. Blanton has not faced the Metropolitans this season. In his career against the Metropolitans, Blanton is 1-0 with a 2.14 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 3 starts.

Jimmy Rollins this season, against NL East opponents that are not the Nationals, is 13-for-92 (.141 avg.). Against the Mets, Rollins is 7-for-30 (.233 avg).

Carlos Ruiz is 0-for-15 with 2 walks in 5 games against the Metropolitans this season.

David Wright is hitting .542 (13-for-24) in 7 games against the Phillies this season with 2 homers and 5 RBI.

Metropolitans team batting average- .273
Phillies team batting average- .256

Metropolitans team ERA- 4.25
Phillies team ERA- 4.86

Comments

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

TRENTON, NJ- Brad Lidge made his second rehab appearance for the Double A Reading Phillies on Thursday night and it didn't go as well as the veteran reliever or the team had hoped. Lidge struggled with his command and turned in a rather poor outing for the club that entered the night in a playoff race, 1 game behind division rival Trenton for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Division. On the disabled list since spring training with a strained right rotator cuff, Lidge experienced an elbow strain when he was working back from that issue in late May. In his outing against the Yankees affiliate in Trenton, Lidge displayed difficulty with his control as he threw three wild pitches, hit two batters, walked another and gave up a single, all while letting up two earned runs on 28 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. After the disappointing performance, Lidge was composed and focused on some positive aspects, having reached 89 and 90 MPH on scouts' radar guns, according to some reports. ...

Rappers in Phillies Caps

Weekend greetings to you phine pholks out there. Today's post features pictures of rappers wearing Phillies caps. Why rappers in Phillies caps, you ask? Because... Any other questions? We will start things off properly by going with a highly recognizable hip hop star. 50 Cent stays constantly relavant by consistantly creating radio friendly material to help sell (G) units, while he "keeps it real" by still rapping about the thug life he lived before becoming the 2nd highest earning black entertainer in America. 50 is seen here in a recent interview rocking a throw-back Phillies cap. Next up we'll use a throw-back screen cap from what may be the very first major appearance by a rapper wearing Phillies gear. Chuck D, of legendary rap group Public Enemy, wore a Phillies cap in the music video for rap anthem Fight The Power in 1989. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing . Next up we'll go with some home grown tal...

Drabek Preparing For Next Step

The transition has been easy for Kyle Drabek. In December, he was part of a package of young prospects that was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for ace pitcher Roy Halladay. Now, as though nothing has changed, he's right back where he was last season...the star prospect on the pitching staff of a team in the Double A Eastern League. Drabek has often stated that he wanted to stay in the Philadelphia organization, who drafted him in the first round of the 2006 amateur draft. The 22-year-old thought after the midseason trade rumors, that surrounded him possibly going to Toronto last year, passed with no action that all the turmoil was over and that he could simply relax and focus on getting to the big leagues with the Phillies. That wasn't the case, as the deal eventually came to fruition over the off-season. In the Blue Jays system this season, Drabek doesn't have to worry about being dealt. He only has to concern himself with opposing batters and working on his secondary pit...

PhoulBallz.com

Search This Blog