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The Philadelphia Phillies have struggled to win series this season. They are 10-14 on the year, and have only won two of the seven series they have played in. On top of that, the Phils have yet to sweep an opponent.
Philadelphia absolutely needs a series win against the New York Mets this weekend. It is a team they have dominated since 2007, starting with a memorable September comeback against the Mets. The Fightin’s swept the Mets in a four-game series at home to win their first division title in over 15 years.
Despite the Phillies’ poor start this season, their success against the Mets has continued. With the Atlanta Braves winning on a consistent basis and the Washington Nationals heating up again, the Phils must continue their dominance over the Mets, a series sweep being an ideal situation. A sweep will hopefully propel the Phillies into a nice little winning streak to help them make up some ground in the NL East.
Jonathan Pettibone must take care of business tonight first as he takes the mound for his second career major league start. Philadelphia defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 in his last start behind six strong inning of work.
This is a pivotal game for the Phillies because they have been horrid when it comes to closing out series, the most recent example being against the Pirates. The Philadelphia bullpen blew late leads in back-to-back games to close the series.
A win today would do tons for the confidence of not only the Phillies team, but young Pettibone as well. Moreover, it would negate the notion of a rubber match and take a lot of pressure of the Phillies to win the series.
