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Will it be fireworks or duds when struggling rivals Phillies, Mets meet this weekend?
Division rivals both playing far below their expectations
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It's the Fourth of July weekend.
The New York Mets are in Philadelphia to take on the Phillies in a much-anticipated three-game series. The first game is 7:05 p.m. today.
Citizens Bank Park will be packed.
The Phillies will start Rodrigo Lopez. He's 65-65 in seven Major League seasons but hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2007 because of arm troubles.
The Mets will counter with Livan Hernandez, who was signed to be their fifth starter but has been one of the team's most consistent pitchers with a 5-3 record and 4.04 ERA.
It's not exactly Carlton vs. Seaver.
Nothing illustrates the recent fortunes of the Mets and Phillies better than tonight's pitching matchup.
Both teams are mired in mediocrity.
New York (39-39) has won two straight but had lost five in a row before that and is 11-18 since June 1.
The Phillies (39-37) have won just three of their last 15 games. They are 11-17 since June 1.
Philadelphia is the defending World Series champion. Publications such as Sports Illustrated picked the Mets to win the National League pennant in the preseason.
Neither team nor their fans anticipated having these types of season.
What's gone wrong?
Plenty.
1. Failed aces
Johan Santana of the Mets and Cole Hamels of the Phillies are supposed to be among the best starting pitchers in baseball.
Both have thrown like journeymen since June 1.
Hamels hasn't won since June 4. In his last two starts, he has allowed 11 earned runs in just 82/3 innings.
Santana was 2-4 with a 6.19 ERA in June.
Hamels will not pitch in this series. Santana starts Sunday.
2. Didn't you used
to be Jimmy Rollins?
Jimmy Rollins, left, was the NL Most Valuable Player in 2007 when he hit 30 home runs and batted .296. The Phillies shortstop has been a shell of his former self this season.
Rollins is batting .209. He was 0-for-28 before getting two hits Thursday at Atlanta. He batted .167 in June.
3. Where did all the power go?
Mets third baseman David Wright hit 30 home runs in 2007. He hit 33 last year. He has five this season.
As a team, New York has hit 50 home runs, the lowest total in the NL.
The lack of power puts the Mets at a disadvantage, especially in close games in which one swing can make the difference.
4. The walking wounded
A strong argument can be made that there is more talent on both teams' disabled lists than will be on the field tonight. That's definitely true in New York's case. Injuries have devastated the Mets.
New York is without shortstop Jose Reyes (calf, hamstring), center fielder Carlos Beltran (knee) and first baseman Carlos Delgado (hip).
Philadelphia has its share of injuries, too. Left fielder Raul Ibanez, who has 22 home runs, is on the disabled list with a groin injury. Closer Brad Lidge just returned from a stint on the DL for an injured knee, and starter Brett Myers is very likely out for the rest of the season with a hip injury.
Now what?
As bad as things have gone for both teams the past month, all is not lost. The Phillies are tied for first place in the NL East with the Florida Marlins. The Mets are just one game back of the co-leaders.
Few things in sports are more entertaining than a summer baseball pennant race.
The excitement starts tonight.
And remember, with his .500 career record, the 33-year-old Lopez might be the definition of average, but back in July 2002, he went 6-0 with a 2.57 ERA for the Baltimore Orioles.
A repeat of that performance this July could be just what the Phillies need.
Posted in Sports, Breaking_news, Phillies on Friday, July 3, 2009 12:00 am Updated: 12:38 am.
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