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Blanton gets his turn for Phils in clash with Mets

Apr 6, 2011 - 2:47 PM (Sports Network) - Joe Blanton gets a chance to prove he belongs in the vaunted Philadelphia rotation this evening, when the Phillies continue their three-game series with the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park.

A 16-game winner in 2006 with the Oakland Athletics, Blanton is perhaps the best fifth starter in baseball. However, it's easy to see why he could be overlooked in a rotation that has Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels throwing in front of him.

Though he struggled at the onset of last season after missing the first 24 games with an oblique strain, Blanton went 6-0 with a 3.42 ERA in his final 14 appearances, all but one of those starts. The righty finished the year 9-6 with a 4.82 ERA.

Blanton has had success against the Mets, posting a 3-1 mark to go along with a 2.64 ERA in seven career starts.

The Phils will need a better effort from Blanton than the one they received from Hamels on Tuesday. Halladay, Lee and Oswalt surrendered five runs combined in a sweep over Houston to open the year, but Hamels gave up six in the third inning alone on Tuesday, as Philadelphia suffered its first loss of the season with a 7-1 defeat to the Mets.

Chris Young (1-0), signed in the offseason after an injury-riddled stint in San Diego, was terrific in his Mets debut, as he allowed just one run on five hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings. The 6-foot-10 righty struck out seven and also went 3-for-3 with an RBI at the plate, including a two-hit effort during New York's six-run third inning.

David Wright went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two driven in for the Mets, who took two of three from the Florida Marlins to start the season.

Hamels (0-1) was pulled after yielding six runs on seven hits and two walks in just 2 2/3 frames. The poor outing spoiled Philadelphia's chance at opening the season 4-0 for the first time since 1915.

"I wasn't getting ahead of guys. I wasn't getting good control of my fastball," Hamels said. "They were finding some pretty good holes. I wasn't able to minimize the damage."

Tonight the Mets will turn to right-hander Mike Pelfrey, who will be trying to bounce back from a dreadful showing on Opening Day. The team's de facto ace while Johan Santana recovers from shoulder surgery, Pelfrey couldn't get out of the fifth inning against the Marlins on Friday, as he allowed five runs and four hits with four walks in 4 1/3 frames.

Pelfrey has faced the Phillies 13 times and is 6-4 with a 4.52 ERA.

Philadelphia split its 18 matchups with the Mets a year ago.