This is not the vibe I’d want to be entering Philadelphia on if I were the Mets. Losing a heartbreaking, frustrating game pitched by your ace? Not exactly flying high. Well, it’s too late now: the Mets (9-12) are headed to Philadelphia anyway to face the Phillies (11-9) after dropping two of three to the Marlins. The Phillies got off to a real slow start, going 6-8 over their first 14 games, but they are heating up, winning five of their last six.

The Mets will be throwing Mike Pelfrey (2-0, 6.32) against old friend Chan Ho Park (0-0, 7.16) in Friday’s opener. Ollie Perez (1-2, 9.31) takes Game 2 for the Mets while the ageless Jamie Moyer (3-1, 5.09) does the same for the Phils. And, finally, we’ve got John Maine (1-2, 5.41) and Joe Blanton (0-2, 8.41). Six pitchers with ERAs over 5.00. Joy!

Game 1: Chan Ho Park, RHP

What’s the story? Well, the state of the Mets’ rotation could be worse, I suppose; they could still have Chan Ho Park. Park actually had an excellent season in relief for the Dodgers, compiling a 3.40 ERA over 95 innings. He did make five starts, but he was mostly reserved for long and middle relief. His performance was strong enough for the Phillies to sign him with the intention of having him compete with J.A. Happ for the fifth starter’s slot. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the Phils were secretly hoping that Happ would make the job his, but Park was lights out during spring training. That hasn’t quite been the case since the season began, as a cursory glimpse at his ERA will tell you. Park’s still got pretty good stuff: a low 90s four-seamer that can touch 95, a diving two-seamer, a hard slider, a slow curve, and a changeup.

Last Year: Park didn’t make a start against the Mets last year, just a pair of relief appearances. The first was three innings of perfect baseball during which he struck out three. His command wasn’t there for the second appearance though, and he walked three batters while also giving up two hits and a run.

What to Expect: Last year, Park was completely healthy for the first time since early 2006, and it showed. His velocity was back up, his sinker was getting groundouts, and the curve was fooling hitters. He’s got a wide arsenal, and there isn’t a truly bad pitch in the bunch. It’s easy to forget, but there was a reason Park got that monstrous contract from the Rangers all those years ago. Still, command is sometimes a problem, making Park inconsistent, and he can be rattled once he gets runners on base, which can mean big innings. Park also has a tendency to fall into predictable patterns when pitching. Hitters should be patient early, while looking at the possibility of being more aggressive later on.

Game 2: Jamie Moyer, LHP

What’s the story? Ah, the ageless Jamie Moyer. I hate to admit it, but Moyer’s a personal favorite; I love unique pitchers, and Moyer is definitely that. Besides looking to become the first pitcher to last until he’s collecting social security, he’s one of those rare pitchers who manages to excel with so very little. His stuff isn’t mediocre: it’s downright poor. He barely touches 84 with his fastball, the changeup only comes in a couple miles-per-hour slower, and the curve doesn’t have a whole lot of break to it. Still, Moyer manages to make it work, winning 15 games for the Phils last year.

Last Year: It seemed like the Mets faced Moyer 100 times last year. At least it did to someone who has to come up with something interesting to say every time the Mets face a pitcher. It turns out, the Mets only faced him six times. Moyer went 2-1 with a 3.53 ERA over 35.2 innings, but with a poor 16-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

What to Expect: Craft and guile are Moyer’s bread and butter. Well, I hope I didn’t mean that literally; that would be kind of strange. But on the mound, Moyer’s the epitome of the old Warren Spahn adage: “Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing.” Moyer’s going to work off the fastball away, moving the changeup inside and out to keep the batter guessing. A lot of pitchers won’t throw the changeup inside, but Moyer doesn’t have much of a choice. He’ll mix in a few curves to lefties (and maybe to righties in early counts), but he’s going to rely on that fastball-change combo. He’s not as fine with his command as he used to be, however, so he can be beat. The key is not to be too aggressive, no matter how tempting a pitch looks. Moyer loves to trick hitters into getting ahead of the pitch.

Game 3: Joe Blanton, RHP

What’s the story? When the Phillies acquired Blanton last year, I thought it wasn’t a great move. I thought Blanton had the potential to be a disaster in the Phillies’ ballpark due to a finesse approach that results in a lot of fly balls. Blanton had always been particularly adept at keeping those flies in the park, but I didn’t exactly have faith he’d keep it up in the homer-friendly confines of Citizens’ Bank Park. But Blanton was capable upon arriving in Philadelphia, going 4-0 with a 4.20 ERA. 2009 has been different; his ERA stands at 8.41, and he’s given up six homers in 20 innings of work. Blanton mostly works in the high-80s, complementing the fastball with a nice 12-to-6 curve, a fair changeup, and an average slider.

Last Year: Blanton made his first start as a Phillie against the Mets. He gave up five runs and eight hits over six innings, walking three and striking out one. He gave up two homeruns, to Ramon Castro and Carlos Delgado.

What to Expect: I’ve mentioned Blanton’s woes with the long ball, but I should also mention that his control hasn’t been quite as fine as he needs it to be. Blanton’s more of a finesse guy, and he has a smaller margin of error than pitchers who can get swings-and-misses. Blanton will aim for the corners with his fastball, and he needs to hit them, while generally keeping the ball low. He’ll throw the curveball to both sides of the plate, and both lefties and rightes should expect to see them. Righties will see the lion’s share of the sliders, while lefties will see most of his changeups.

Overall

I don’t know how I feel about this one. The Mets rotation has been so bad, but so has the Phillies’. I guess I’m taking the Phils to win two here. I think Pelfrey will have trouble this time out–just a feeling–and I have zero faith in Ollie right now, and Moyer often pitches well against the Mets. The Mets will salvage the finale.