Phils-Mets: Remember When At Least One of These Teams Was Good?

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-101. That's the combined run differential between the Phillies and Mets this year. Though the Phils tendency to led their bad losses get really bad means that their actual record (35-38) isn't as bad as their -50 run differential would indicate, the Mets have surely suffered for their -51, with a 28-41 record good for second-worst in the entire National League. Memories of the days when these two teams were the class of the NL East, dueling for division titles until the last game of the season, seem about as far away as the days when the Miami Heat were a 15-67 team with little hope for the future. (Both only five years ago, believe it or not.)

Anyway, the Mets were able to get a little glimpse into what they hope to be their future greatness when much-hyepd young rotation tentpoles Matt Harvey (brilliant all year) and Zach Wheeler (making his MLB debut) pitched back-to-back in a Super Tuesday double-header last week, both earning Ws for their troubles. That's a good start, but the rest of the rotation is pretty bunk--especially with Jon Niese's recent rotator cuff tear and accompanying DL stint--and their lineup has been across-the-board awful, with David Wright, Lucas Duda and (incredibly) 35-year-old Marlon Byrd the only three regulars with an OPS+ comfortably over 100.

Not to say that the Phils' lineup has been all that much better, especially with Erik Kratz injured and Dom Brown officially going Game 7 Danny Green cold, though at least they should get reinforcements tonight with the return of our most consistent hitter all year, Mr. Chase Utley. It'll be great to have Chase back in the swing of things, and as Kulp pointed out, even with Kratz injured, the return of Chase and Chooch means that our opening day starting lineup is now back in its full complement, which is almost certainly a good thing.

7:05 first pitch from CBP tonight, with Jeremy Hefner and Cole Hamels facing off in the first of three. Last time these two squared off, the Phillies swept at Citi, so here's hoping the Fightins can make it two straight and get back up to .500 in the process. Plus, ten losses on the season is really plenty for Cole already, thanks.

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