The fact that one of tomorrow’s starters is 4-0 with a 0.69 ERA and it’s not Roy Halladay shows just how far Mike Pelfrey has come in the first month of the season.
Pelfrey knows that he will face his toughest test of this young season when the Mets face Halladay and the Phillies in the second game of the series.
“I think sometimes, when you go against guys that are great .¤.¤. I think it brings the best out of you,” Pelfrey said. “He is one of the best and going into the game, you know he’s gonna be good and if you want to win, you have to be good.”
Pelfrey’s been better than that of late and will take a 24-inning scoreless streak into homer-friendly Citizens Bank Park against a potent Phillies lineup.
“I’m gonna have to keep the ball down,” Pelfrey said of pitching to the likes of the new $125 million slugger, Ryan Howard.
Halladay (4-1, 1.80 ERA) is coming off of his worst start as a Phillie, losing to the Giants his last time out and giving up five runs in seven innings in the process.
– Phillies closer Brad Lidge will be activated from the disabled list for tonight’s game.
The 33-year-old had offseason elbow surgery and then pitched in the minors, where he was 0-1 with a 5.19 ERA. To make room for Lidge, the Phillies sent down lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo.
Lidge tossed seven scoreless innings in his last six appearances.
After a nearly flawless 2008, Lidge was awful last year, when he blew 11 saves and had a 7.21 ERA. Lidge also struggled in the World Series against the Yankees.
– The Mets won’t have to deal with Jimmy Rollins, who has been out since mid-April with a strained calf.
He has been replaced primarily by jorneyman Juan Castro.
– Ike Davis wasn’t intimidated playing at Citi Field and he doesn’t expect that to change when he gets to Citizens Bank Park tonight.
“I’m not going to do anything differently,” the rookie first baseman said. “I’m just looking forward to playing in an important series.”
While Davis said he hadn’t studied the recent history between the two teams much, he was aware of at least this much: “I know they’ve taken our spot [in the playoffs] the last few years.”