The first place in April New York Mets come to Philadelphia to meet the first place when it counts Philadelphia Phillies for the first time this season.
Thanks to their recent 9-1 homestand, the Mutts have taken over first place in the NL East from the Phillies for the first time since last May. The Phillies going 4-5 on their road trip didn’t help matters, but the Mets have been playing good baseball since getting off to 4-8 start.
These games are always high intensity and I don’t expect this series to be any different. The Mets seem to think that this first place spot is where they belong and the past two seasons were aberrations. Fans in New York are getting a little worked up over the fact that the Mets are in first, but it’s up to the Phillies to remind them that it’s only April.
Coming off of that wild extra innings win in San Francisco, the Phillies had an off day yesterday and will trot Kyle Kendrick out to face the Mets in the opener. Kendrick has been up and down recently, so hopefully he can rise to the challenge and get a quality start.
Both teams will throw their #1s in this series, with Roy Halladay going on Saturday for the Phillies against Mike Pelfrey and Johan Santana going in the nationally televised Sunday night game against Jamie Moyer. While it would have been great to see the two aces duel on national television, it is more important to have Halladay pitch every 5 days, no matter what. The Mets will be seeing a lot of Halladay over the next few years, so I’m sure there will be a Doc-Santana matchup in the near future.
Pitching has been kind of hit or miss for the Phillies so far, but expect a nice bump when Brad Lidge is activated off of the disabled list today. He had been pitching well in the minors during his rehab and should make his 2010 debut at some point this weekend. The closer’s spot had been filled by Ryan Madson, but after blowing a few more saves on the road trip, I doubt Charlie Manuel wants to see him in that role again soon.
Seeing the Mets in first place is a good thing. The Phillies-Mets rivalry is good for baseball. How fun was it during the 2007 & 2008 seasons to watch the Phillies chase down the Mutts and keep them out of the playoffs? Last season was also fun, seeing how bad the Mets were, but it’s a lot more fun beating them for the top spot in the East.
While it’s only April, games against the Mets always matter. I expect these two teams to be at the top of the division all season, so every game counts. Let the Mets have their fun now. The Phillies will take back the lead when it matters.
