N.Y. Mets: Zack Wheeler Serves Up Phillies Flambe

From the desk of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Competitive Aprils Lead to Contending Summers

Series tied 1-1

I - NYM 5; PHI 1

II - NYM 9; PHI 0

III - WEDNESDAY

New York Mets: Look Who's Number One ... For Now!

Far too often these early season showdowns go under spoken.  For instance both the Mets and Phillies entered Tuesday's game sporting rather unremarkable 12-10 records.  Thing is they entered Tuesday's game tied for first place - exactly where fans want to be.

I always say you can't win pennants in April, but you sure can lose them.  As the month draws to a close, the Mets and Phils now have five game between them.  Therefore I say this series is no longer a potential preview of this season's race for the National League East title.  This in fact is the race for the division flag.

The Phils, Nationals, and Braves have all demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt, that every game will matter greatly.

Record vs. N.L. East

• WAS: 3-3
• ATL:  2-2
• PHI:   3-2
• MIA:  3-0

This just tells me this division is up for grabs.  There will be little margin for error come September - assuming all teams stay reasonably healthy.  Should that turn out being the case, expect a fight to the finish.

The Mets defeated the Phils to gain a tie for first place on Monday.  On Tuesday the Mets again defeated the Phillies to secure a series victory, and move into sole possession of first place.

The Zack Wheeler I've been anticipating all spring finally showed up.  Making his fifth start of the season, the Mets looming free agent pitched a gem, while consistently popping the radar gun from 98mph to the century mark.  He threw 105 pitches with 74 (70%) going for strikes, while allowing just five hits and no walks through seven scoreless innings with eleven strikeouts for his second victory of the season.  Wheeler was also 2 for 3 at the plate, with a double, home run, and three RBI.

Luis Avilan and Jacob Rhame joined in pitching two scoreless innings of no hit ball in relief of Wheeler to complete the Mets 9-0 whitewashing of Philadelphia.

Robinson Cano and Michael Conforto each posted multi-hit games.  In only his second game back from injury Todd Frazier connected on a grand slam in the fifth inning.

Philadelphia's Bryce Harper is 0 for 5 thus far in the series with four strikeouts, an ejection in game one, and an all around bad attitude.

See ... baseball games in April are fun, but they matter too. A little bit of bad blood doesn't hurt either.