Philadelphia @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 23, 2011 ) Philadelphia 0, NY Mets 0

THE STORY: The Philadelphia Phillies are struggling as they head into the postseason. Sure, many teams envy their position, but a season-worst six-game losing skid still raises concerns in the City of Brotherly Love. After Friday's series opener was rained out, lefthander Cole Hamels will take the mound on Saturday in the in the first game of the day-night doubleheader against the rival Mets at New York. Veteran knuckleballer R.A. Dickey will get the call for New York, which posted only its third win in 12 games with an 8-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, CSN (Philadelphia), WPIX (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies LH Cole Hamels (14-9, 2.80 ERA) vs. Mets RH R.A. Dickey (8-13, 3.35 ERA).

Hamels can't put his finger on it, but he has struggled mightily against the Mets. The 2008 World Series MVP is 3-10 in his career versus a franchise he once called "choke artists." This season, Hamels sandwiched a brilliant outing on May 28 around a pair of horrendous ones against Terry Collins' team. Hamels suffered his second straight loss after yielding four runs on seven hits in as many innings in Sunday's 5-0 loss to the Cardinals. Like Hamels, Dickey has also dropped two in a row - although he has pitched well for the last six weeks. The 36-year-old Tennessee native scattered three hits and allowed one run against the Atlanta Braves. Unfortunately for Dickey, the Mets' offense came up lame and lost 1-0. New York has given Dickey three runs in as many starts. Dickey fell to 2-3 in his career against the Phillies when he allowed four runs in an eventual 7-2 loss July 15.

ABOUT THE PHILLIES (98-58): Philadelphia was downright listless as it was on the wrong end of a four-game home sweep by the Washington Nationals. How bad was it Thursday? Carlos Ruiz went 3-for-4, and the rest of the team went 1-for-27 in its 6-1 loss to the Washington Nationals. The "one" was a two-out double in the ninth inning by John Mayberry Jr., who was promptly brought home by Ruiz's RBI single. Chase Utley struggled on the 10-game homestand, collecting six hits in 31 at-bats. He hasn't fared too well versus Dickey, going 2-for-8 in his career. The Phillies were once again without Ryan Howard (bursitis) and Hunter Pence (knee), while Placido Polanco was given the day off to rest.

ABOUT THE METS (74-82): Collins' club looked like it was limping to yet another loss before its six-run outburst in the ninth inning damaged the Cardinals' postseason plans. The late rally was the Mets' largest comeback since they scored five runs in a 6-5 triumph over the Chicago Cubs on May 17, 2007. Willie Harris began the frame with a walk and capped it with a two-out, two-run single to give the Mets the lead. Ruben Tejada had a two-run double in the ninth to collect his sixth multi-hit game in nine contests. Jose Reyes went 1-for-4 on Thursday to see his batting average fall to .329. He trails only Milwaukee's Ryan Braun (.330) in the National League batting race. Reyes has fared well versus Hamels, going 12-for-37 in his career.

FINAL PITCH: "When you go to work you should go to work hard. I think (Thursday) shows these guys in this locker room care about each other and we want to win." - Harris.