Mets-Phillies: One-two again

The 2009 Major League Baseball season began with the incredibly hot Marlins—led by an equally as hot Emilio Bonafacio and starting pitching staff—storming out of the gate and leaving the other four teams in the NL East in the dust.

But since then, Florida has crashed back down to Earth while the Phillies have cruised to three straight wins, pushing them into first place in the NL East.

For the first time in 2009 the Phillies and Mets will face off with one of the teams in first place and the other biting at its heels.

The short two game series starts tonight at 7:10, as the Phillies visit Citi Field for the first time.

They will send Chan Ho Park to the mound against Johan Santana, which—let's be honest—is a huge advantage for the Mets.

The Mets lit up Park last Friday, and there's no reason to assume the same won't happen tonight.

And there's never reason to assume Johan will be anything less than stellar.

The Mets have won two in a row, fresh off a sweep (albeit only a two-game sweep) of the Braves at Turner Field, which has not been a kind host stadium to the Mets in the past 10 years or so. 

I will be at the game in my partial season seats in section 524, rooting the Amazin's on.  Very interested to see the amount of Phillies fans who will show up.

I don't know if it's just me, but Phillies fans have seemed relatively quiet to start the season. Maybe a championship hangover?

Regardless, as a fan, I feel very confident going into this series. 

For whatever reason, for the first time in a few years I feel like we really do have a better all-around team than the Phillies.

I think a two-game sweep of the Phillies, especially following a two game sweep of the Braves, would propel the Mets to new heights. Let's hope for it.