Philadelphia @ New York preview
Citi Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 20, 2013 ) Philadelphia 4, NY Mets 5
All-Star pitchers Matt Harvey and Cliff Lee square off Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game set as the New York Mets host the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets and Phillies have combined to score 30 runs through two games, but offense figures to be in short supply as both Harvey (fourth) and Lee (10th) rank among the top 10 starters in the National League in ERA. Philadelphia has won four consecutive series, but has lost in three of Lee’s last four outings.
The Mets snapped their seven-game home losing streak to the Phillies with Saturday’s 5-4 victory, but have allowed Chase Utley to go 4-for-9 with two homers and six RBIs in this series. Neither New York starter – Jeremy Hefner or Zack Wheeler – has made it through the fifth inning in the two games since the break, but Harvey has tossed at least five frames in each of his 29 career turns. The right-hander – who missed his previous start with a blister on his right index finger – is 3-0 with a 1.37 ERA in four career outings against the Phillies.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, WB17 (Philadelphia), WPIX (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies LH Cliff Lee (10-3, 2.86 ERA) vs. Mets RH Matt Harvey (7-2, 2.35)
After allowing nine home runs over his first 135 2/3 innings, Lee gave up four over the span of eight batters during a July 10 home loss to the Washington Nationals. The four-time All-Star yielded four runs on nine hits over seven frames, suffering his first setback since May 1 and ending his eight-game winning streak. Lee collected the victory in his only outing this season against the Mets on April 9 – allowing two earned runs over 8 2/3 innings – and is 5-1 with a 2.09 ERA in nine career starts against New York.
Harvey returned to the mound as the National League’s starter in the Midsummer Classic and delivered two scoreless innings. The 24-year-old Connecticut native settled for a no-decision in a 4-3 road win against the San Francisco Giants on July 8, but is 0-1 with a 4.05 ERA over his last three outings. Harvey, who leads the NL with 147 strikeouts, has toyed with the Phillies in two meetings this season - holding them to a .116 batting average and 0.69 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins’ homer on Saturday was his first since May 31 and extended his hitting streak against the Mets to 16 games.
2. Mets C John Buck, who sat out Saturday after cramping up in the series opener, is batting 11-for-30 with nine RBIs during his career high-tying seven-game hitting streak.
3. Lee will make his 300th career start.
PREDICTION: Mets 3, Phillies 2