After the Phillies wrap a four-game series at Cincy's Great American Ball Park today, it's off to the Big Apple where all us media types are preparing for a cluster of non-daily beat folks to crowd the clubhouses, field and press box for the first meeting between the Phils and Mets of 2008.

Please use the deodorant, people.

Just like Cole Hamels has a comfort zone in Cincy (he's 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA at Great American Ball Park), the Phillies as a team have owned Shea Stadium. Charlie Manuel's club has won six straight at the Mets' home and seven of the last eight.

While everyone surely remembers the thrilling, 11-10 Phils win in the last meeting of the two NL East rivals at Citizens Bank Park (Comcast SportsNet replayed the game a dozen times in the offseson, including on Christmas night), the last regular season game between the Phils and Mets had its own share of dramatics.


At Shea on Sunday, September 16, the Phillies completed a three-game sweep and won their eighth straight game against the Mets thanks in part to a Greg Dobbs' pinch-hit grand slam.

The Phillies jumped out to a 3-0 lead on that day against Oliver Perez, and were up 5-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. That's when Carlos Beltran breathed some life into the Mets with a game-tying, three-run homer off Adam Eaton. That made it 5-5.

But in the bottom of the inning, five straight Phillies reached before an out was recorded. Dobbs capped the game-changing rally by clearing the bases with a slam off Jorge Sosa (who, oh by the way, served up a slam to the Braves' Kelly Johnson this weekend).

When the inning was over, it was 10-5 Phillies. They held on to win 10-6 and were 3 1/2 games back of the first-place Mets when the game ended.

And we all know how that race ended.

Do the Phillies still own the Mets? Will the Mets show any life?

If the Mets get behind early, will the psychological factor come back into play?

It'll be a battle of lefties - Jamie Moyer vs. Oliver Perez.

But let's get the heck out of Cincy first. Four days is long enough...

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The Archive Files

In the game story, Brett Myers was one of the major leagues top starter in spring training.... but he continued to look like a very different pitcher is his defeat to the Reds Sunday.

In the notes, Shane Victorino continues to struggle, Myers adds his name to Ken Griffey Jr.'s list, and more.