With their series victory against the Phillies, the Mets (55-47) find themselves in sole possession of first place for the first time in quite a while. Now, all they have to do is stay there? Piece of cake, right? Well, the Mets have a bit of a challenge right away, in the St. Louis Cardinals (57-46). It’s been feast or famine for the Cards over the past week; after completing a four-game sweep of the Padres immediately after the All-Star break, they found themselves the victims over four games against the red-hot Brewers. Will it continue in New York

In Game 1, Mitchell Boggs (3-1, 6.59) will face Mike Pelfrey (8-6, 3.81). They’ll be followed by Joel Pineiro (3-4, 4.52) and Brandon Knight (0-0, —), who’ll be making his first major league appearance since 2002 in lieu of Pedro Martinez. Sunday’s finale will feature Kyle Lohse (12-2, 3.35) and Johan Santana (8-7, 3.05).

Game 1: Mitchell Boggs, RHP

What’s the Story? Boggs’s scouting report may be found here.

This Year: I have no idea how Mitchell Boggs made it to the sixth inning in his July 3rd start against the Mets. I would’ve been sorely tempted to pull him during the six-run third, which made the score 9-0, but not Tony LaRussa. He left him in for the entire sixth, during which he gave up another two runs. The final tally: six innings, 11 runs, 10 hits, six walks, two strikeouts, and a homer to Carlos Delgado.

What to Expect: Boggs was demoted immediately after that start, but he’s been recalled just in time to face the Mets a second time. Boggs had absolutely no command whatsoever during his previous start. He walked six batters—something nobody whose gameplan is to pitch to contact can afford to do—and caught too much of the plate when he wasn’t walking the world. He did succeed in getting groundballs—he got 16 of them—but he was damaged when he left the ball up. If he’s able to throw strikes this time out, the sinker could give the Mets problems.

Game 2: Joel Pineiro, RHP

What’s the Story? Pineiro’s scouting report may be found here.

This Year: The Mets were fairly successful against Pineiro, too. Though they didn’t knock him around for 11 runs, they did get 11 base hits, scoring four runs over five innings. Pineiro walked one and struck out four, as the Cardinals came back late to win 8-7.

What to Expect: Like Boggs, Pineiro also suffered from poor location his last time out. He missed the corners when he aimed for them, finding his fastball riding back over the plate. The end result was 11 hits. This is a recurring problem with Pineiro who certainly is prone to nibbling. He just doesn’t have the velocity to challenge hitters, and his breaking stuff isn’t good enough to consistently fool opposing batters. If he’s picture-perfect in his location, he can be effective, but otherwise he might be reliant on the Cardinal offense to bail him out.

Game 3: Kyle Lohse, RHP

What’s the Story? Lohse’s scouting report may be found here.

This Year: Lohse pitched very effectively against the Mets. He threw seven innings, allowing one run (unearned) on five hits and two walks, while striking out four, as he improved to 10-2.

What to Expect: As I mentioned the last time, Lohse has had a great season thanks to newfound confidence in his two-seam fastball and slider combination. He changed speeds very well, mixing in the other pitches to pretty offer hitters a variety of looks. Since he last faced the Mets, Lohse has continued to throw very well. He’s gone seven innings or more in each of his four starts and is 2-0 with a 2.17 ERA, striking out twenty while walking just five over 29 innings.

Overall: The Mets only have a clear advantage in the pitching matchups in the opener; Pelfrey is clearly a better pitcher than Boggs. However, while they don’t have the clear advantage in the other games, they’re not a disadvantage either. Yeah, Brandon Knight hasn’t pitched in a big league game in forever, but Joel Pineiro isn’t exactly Walter Johnson, and Knight’s got intangibles all over. He could be a nice story of Nelson Figueroa-esque proportions. And Johan Santana can certainly keep pace with even the 2008 version of Lohse. I’m picking two of three here, with the Mets taking the first two. Here’s hoping the Mets are still in first at the series’ conclusion.