Mets, Phillies Battle For First

Could first place be around the corner?   The current batch of Mets players have been berated in all forms of media all week.   “We can’t win like this”   “These players aren’t very good.”   Even the manager got into the act by asking for more offense and saying that it’d be tough to win with the current guys.   Despite all that, the Mets have now won two in a row, one with pitching and one with hitting. They will go into Philadelphia with a chance to take first place, sitting just one game behind the Phillies. (and the Marlins)   The Phillies aren’t playing great baseball either. In fact, the pitcher the Mets faced in Pittsburgh, Paul Maholm, has a better ERA than the Phillies ace Cole Hamels, and the two pitchers in the rotation the Mets are facing this weekend.   The other pitcher, Rodrigo Lopez, is a journeyman pitcher who hasn’t pitched in the majors in two years. Lopez, coming ... (link)