Mets (21-11) –115, o/u 8 ½ at Phillies (18-14), 7 p.m. Eastern
by Darin of Ultimatecapper.com
The Philadelphia Phillies look to run their win streak to double digits and move in a little closer to first place in the National League East when they meet the New York Mets in the middle game of a three-game set Wednesday night in Philly.
Philadelphia won the series opener 5-4 Tuesday night. The Mets Carlos Delgado tied the game with a two-run homer in the top of the 9th off Philly closer Tom Gordon, but David Dellucci led off the bottom of the 9th with a triple, and scored the winning run two outs later on an infield dribbler.
New York leads the way in the NL East by three games over the Phillies, who have won nine games in a row.
New York has won 7 of its last 11 games, but has lost its last two.
The Mets won the season series with the Phillies 11 games to 7 last year, with the over/under going 11-5-2.
Philadelphia is 11-10 at home this season, 15-17 vs. the run line and 3-3 as underdogs.
New York is 9-5 on the road this season, 14-18 vs. the run line and 17-9 as favorites.
Tom Glavine (4-2, 1.94 ERA) starts Wednesday for the Mets. In his last two outings, Glavine has pitched 14 innings of shutout ball. And he owns a 41/14 strikeouts-to-walks ratio.
The Mets are 5-2 in games Glavine has started this season, the over/under a perfect 0-7.
Glavine made two starts vs. Philly last year, giving up nine earned runs and 19 baserunners in 10 2/3 innings pitched.
Cory Lidle (3-3, 4.17 ERA) goes to the mound Wednesday for the Phillies. In his last outing, Lidle gave up three runs and 8 baserunners in 6 IP vs. Atlanta Friday. On the season, Lidle owns a 38/6 K/BB ratio.
Philadelphia is 3-3 in Lidle’s starts this year, the o/u 3-3.
Lidle made two starts against the Mets last year, allowing 7 ER and 15 baserunners in 13 2/3 IP.
New York’s offense owns a .332 team OBP this season, 11th in the NL, and is averaging 4.8 runs per game.
The Philly offense owns a .340 team OBP, 8th in the NL, and is averaging 5.0 RPG.
The Mets bullpen has allowed 19 ER and 42 baserunners in its last 29 innings of work.
Phillies relievers have given up 4 ER and 15 baserunners in their last 14 IP.
Games at Citizens Bank Ballpark are averaging 10.2 RPG this season, with the o/u going 11-10. Phillies home games averaged 10.2 RPG last year, and 10.1 RPG in 2004.
Projected home-plate umpire Lance Barksdale has called five games back of the plate this season. Those games averaged 7.8 RPG with the o/u going 2-3.
The o/u is a collective 32-30 in Mets and Phillies games this season.
