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Skidding Mets hope to avoid repeating history

Sep 16, 2008 - 1:38 PM NY Mets (83-66) at Washington (56-93), 7:10 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- The New York Mets don't just have the Philadelphia Phillies knocking on their door. The spiraling club also must fend off the ghosts of last season's historic collapse.

With bitter memories of last September's inability to close out a playoff spot, the Mets try to increase their slim lead in the National League East with a win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.

Last year, the Philadelphia Phillies (83-67) made up a seven-game deficit with 17 games remaining, ending the Mets' bid to play in October.

Now, the Mets' lead over the Phillies in the division has dwindled to a half-game following Monday's 7-2 loss to Washington - their third defeat in four games.

"Coming down the stretch, every loss will probably be a reminder of last year," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said to the New York Post. "What we have to as a team is get through it. We have to keep that from being the subject matter. That is part of who we are, and we will have to deal with it. Period."

Mike Pelfrey (13-9, 3.77 ERA) takes the mound for the Mets looking to erase his struggles away from Shea Stadium. The 24-year-old righthander has posted a 5.14 ERA while surrendering 87 hits in 68 1/3 frames over 12 starts on the road.

Pelfrey was roughed up for five runs and eight hits in five pedestrian innings against the Nationals in his last start on Wednesday, a 13-10 Mets win.

Washington will counter with Odalis Perez (6-10, 4.48), who has a 6.38 ERA in 13 starts on the road but a 2.76 mark in 14 starts at home. He has yet to surrender four runs or more and has yielded more than two runs just three times at home.

David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado went a combined 0-for-11, while Washington's Nos. 3-4-5 hitters were 5-for-10 with six runs and three RBI on Monday.