While the Mets (53-46) only managed a split in Cincinnati, it was enough to ensure a first-place tie with the Philadelphia Phillies (53-46), who, as luck with have it, are the Mets’ next opponents. With a victory here, the Mets could take sole possession of first place.

First up: the newly acquired Joe Blanton (5-12, 4.96) opposes Mets ace Johan Santana (8-7, 3.10). After that, it’ll be the newly recalled Brett Myers (3-9, 5.84) and John Maine (8-7, 4.22) on Wednesday, followed by the newly—well, I guess there’s nothing new about Jamie Moyer (9-6, 3.90), is there? Moyer will face Oliver Perez (6-6, 4.36).

Game 1: Joe Blanton, RHP

What’s the Story? Hoping to distance themselves from the rest of the NL East pack, Pat Gillick and the Phillies acquired Blanton from the Athletics for prospects Adrian Cardenas, Josh Outman, and Joshua Spencer a few days ago. The real question is whether Blanton will be the difference-maker they hope. After a nice little 2007 (14-10, 3.95), he has struggled in 2008. His command hasn’t been quite as sharp, and he’s already nearly matched his 2007 walk total, and he’s not far off his homerun total, either. Blanton, a finesse guy, throws a fastball that touches 92 but mostly sits 88-91, a nice 12-to-6 curve, a fair change, and an average slider.

Last Year: Blanton was fantastic against the Mets in his start last season. He threw eight shutout innings, holding the Mets to five hits—four of them singles—and one walk while striking out six. He only got a no-decision, however, as Santiago Casilla blew the game without recording an out, as the Mets went on to win, 1-0.

What to Expect: Blanton likes to pitch to contact, so expect him to attempt to throw plenty of strikes. Thus far, this has resulted in a lot of hits, and it’ll be interesting to witness how he reacts to the more hitter-friendly Citizen’s Bank Park once he makes his first start there. He’s at his best when he hits his corners, keeps his fastball down, and mixes up his pitches. He’s capable of throwing all his pitches for strikes, so when his command is on, he’s a very capable pitcher. When it’s not, he’ll catch too much of the plate and give hitters something to drive. I should note that Blanton hasn’t pitched since July 9th, so he’ll either be very well-rested or a little rusty.

Game 2: Brett Myers, RHP

What’s the Story? It hasn’t been a good year for Brett Myers. After volunteering to move to the bullpen last year where he served admirably as the Phils’ closer, Brad Lidge’s arrival freed him up to return the rotation. The results: his lowest strikeout rate since 2004, and the worst walk and homerun rates of his career. There’s no way to sugarcoat it; he’s been every bit as bad as his ERA this season. So bad, he was demoted to the minors for four starts where he regained his “swagger.” The Phillies hope “swagger” means not pitching like crap, because when the swagger’s fully intact, Myers looks like an ace, with a low-90s fastball, a nasty hard curve, a solid changeup, an average slider, and an occasional cutter.

Last Year: Myers spent last season in the bullpen, so he didn’t make any starts against the Mets. He did make five relief appearances, going 1-0 with three saves over six scoreless innings. He allowed three hits, a walk, and struck out six.

What to Expect: So what’s different about Myers this year than in the past? As I mentioned, strikeouts are down, walks are up, and homeruns are up. Perhaps the most interesting thing I notice when I look at his pitch data concerns his fastball. He’s throwing it less, and his velocity is down a couple miles-per-hour. I’d wager the two are connected, and it makes sense that it would impact his other ratios. Due to his wide arsenal, Myers has never thrown a lot of fastballs, but he’s now throwing it less than half the time, meaning he’s relying on pitches that are more difficult to control. If I were the Phillies, I’d consider taking away his slider and having him work fastball-curve-change exclusively. Even if the velocity doesn’t return, he’ll have enough difference in velocity to remain successful, and they will get him used to utilizing his three best pitches.

Game 3: Jamie Moyer, LHP

What’s the Story? You can find my original scouting report on Moyer here.

This Year: This will be start number four against the Mets this season. In his last, he pitched pretty well, allowing three runs on seven hits and a pair of walks before being removed with two out in the seventh.

What to Expect:While the unbalanced schedule often makes writing the “What’s the Story?” part of this feature much easier, it makes “What to Expect” much more difficult. Every time the Mets face Jamie Moyer, I have to figure out something new to say about a guy who hasn’t changed the way he pitches in over a decade. Out of ideas, I’ll simply offer what I wrote last time:

He can’t strike batters out and he’s given up 14 homeruns already, but he’s still got impeccable control, and he’s crafty as all hell. He’ll mix in all his pitches, and he’s confident he can throw anyone for strikes on any count.

Yep. No stuff, flyball tendencies, control, craft. That’s the gist of it.

Overall: I’m picking the Mets to take two out of three here. I’m wagering that Johan Santana will have a nice bounce-back from his last start, while Blanton’s debut will be underwhelming. And while I have no faith in John Maine lately, I’m sure Phillies fans have little in Brett Myers, either. As for Moyer, watching him pitch against the Mets is infuriating. It just seems like the Mets should do so much more against him. Expect that to continue. Here’s hoping I’m right and the Mets find themselves solely in first on Friday.