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Phillies-Mets Preview

Aug 14, 2010 - 3:27 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Philadelphia (64-50) at New York (57-57), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies have given Roy Halladay a lot of offensive support in his four consecutive victories, and the former Cy Young Award winner needed all of it Sunday against the New York Mets.

Halladay probably shouldn't expect much help now.

The Phillies have yet to score in four games at Citi Field this season, a bizarre drought they'll have to shake Saturday night if they hope to snap the Mets' first winning streak since late June.

Injuries to many regulars in the lineup have caused the Phillies (64-51) to undergo some periodic offensive slumps, but none have been as bleak as their inability to score in Queens.

Philadelphia was outscored 16-0 in a three-game sweep May 25-27 without Jimmy Rollins, and looked even more inept Friday while missing Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz. R.A. Dickey, whom the Phillies chased after three innings in a 6-5 win at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, allowed only a sixth-inning single to counterpart Cole Hamels in a 1-0 victory.

Philadelphia has gone 25 consecutive innings at Citi Field without an extra-base hit. The last time a team was shut out four straight times at an opponent's ballpark was 2004, when Minnesota blanked Kansas City at the Metrodome.

"It's just a matter of time," manager Charlie Manuel said. "When we score, it's going to come in bunches."

The Mets' fourth shutout in six games gave them back-to-back victories for the first time since June 22-23.

Three straight wins could be tough to come by with Halladay (14-8, 2.34 ERA) on the mound, but New York (58-57) totaled nine hits and five runs off the Phillies ace Sunday. But Dickey gave up six runs in the 6-5 loss, the fourth straight start Halladay has received at least that much support.

"I'm happy with the win," Halladay said after improving to 8-1 with a 1.36 ERA against the NL East. "... The bullpen picked me up. It's a little easier getting to sleep at night taking a win out of it."

The right-hander will want to be careful pitching to Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes as he makes his Citi Field debut. Beltran is a .355 hitter against Halladay, while Reyes is 6 for 11 with three extra-base hits.

The Phillies might really be concerned if their offensive woes continue against journeyman Pat Misch, who will make his first appearance in the majors this season.

Then again, the left-hander is 11-4 with a 3.23 ERA in 23 games this year. He was 3-4 with a 4.12 ERA in 22 games - seven starts - with the Mets in 2009.

Misch, who spent parts of four seasons with the Giants, is 0-1 with a 5.09 ERA in six games - two starts - against Philadelphia.

Should Misch hand a lead to the bullpen, New York will be able to turn to Francisco Rodriguez on Saturday. The closer finished serving a two-game suspension Friday, two days after he was arrested and charged with third-degree assault on his girlfriend's father.

"Maybe it's a distraction we need," outfielder Jeff Francoeur said. "Not to say it's a good thing. But maybe at the end of the day we can turn it into a positive."

Rodriguez has never surrendered a run in 15 innings against the Phillies, yielding five hits while converting all 10 save opportunities.

Ruiz, hitting .377 with 17 RBIs since July 27, is expected back after missing Friday's game with a sore right quadriceps.