New York @ Philadelphia preview
Citizens Bank Park
Last Meeting ( May 1, 2010 ) NY Mets 0, Philadelphia 10
Johan Santana made waves in the off-season that quickly washed ashore in Philadelphia.
When asked by reporters to name the top starting pitcher in the National League East, the New York Mets ace didn't hesitate with his answer.
He picked himself.
Whether it was bravado or a means of motivation, Santana felt fine with his assessment that he was, indeed, king of the division.
One problem. Roy Halladay now dons a Philadelphia Phillies uniform - and the residents of the City of Brotherly Love aren't likely to show Santana any as the teams play the rubber match of their three-game series tonight.
Halladay has long been considered a mainstay in the discussion for baseball's best hurler - and he added more credence to the argument following Saturday's 10-0 thrashing of the Mets. The 32-year-old right-hander scattered three hits and struck out six en route to recording his 52nd career complete game.
Care to top that, Mr. Santana?
Now, Santana (3-1, 2.08 ERA) is no slouch either.
The 31-year-old left-hander has been stingy on the mound, allowing just one solitary run over his last 21 1/3 innings. In his last outing, Santana permitted four hits and struck out six in six scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Tuesday.
While Santana won't face Halladay (5-1, 1.40 ERA), he'll face an angry Phillies squad determined to make him eat his words.
Philadelphia (13-10) belted out 13 hits Saturday to snap New York's eight-game winning streak. Chase Utley had a season-high three hits while Jayson Werth added a pair of run-scoring singles to continue his torrid pace. Werth has reached base safely in all 23 of the team's contests.
While those numbers sound impressive, Santana has routinely gotten the better of the two. The Venezuelan has held the pair to a combined 11-for-50 effort at the plate.
On a broader scale, Santana has handcuffed the majority of Philadelphia's roster en route to posting a 4-1 mark with a 2.90 ERA in nine career games.
The Phillies will counter with veteran Jamie Moyer (2-2, 5.25 ERA), who has pitched six innings in each of his four starts this season. The 47-year-old left-hander has struggled with the Mets (14-10) - namely David Wright.
New York's third baseman is 20-for-47 in his career against Moyer - and carries a modest five-game hitting streak into Sunday's prime-time contest.
The teams traded lopsided victories this far in the series. On Friday, Rod Barajas belted two solo homers and Wright added a two-run shot as the Mets pounded out eight extra-base hits in a 9-1 triumph.