(Sports Network) - Young righty Vance Worley meets the New York Mets for the
ninth time in his 53rd big-league appearance tonight when the Philadelphia
Phillies host them in game one of a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park.
A 24-year-old from Sacramento, Worley was selected in the third round of the
2008 draft and reached the majors two years later in 2010, going 1-1 in five
appearances with a 1.38 earned run average.
He upped his appearances to 25 - 21 starts - with the Phillies in 2011 and won
11 of 14 decisions, and is approaching his career mark for outings with 22
through his most recent start on Aug. 22.
He dropped a 3-2 verdict to Cincinnati in that start, allowing two runs on
eight hits in six innings.
Worley hasn't won since Aug. 1 in Washington, when he allowed two unearned
runs in seven innings of a 3-2 victory.
He last faced the Mets on July 3 in New York and was ripped for six runs on 10
hits in just four innings of an 11-1 defeat.
In 12 starts at home this year, he's 2-5 with a 5.00 ERA.
New York sends journeyman Chris Young to the mound for his 15th start of 2012,
the most starts he's made since 2009.
Now 33 years old, Young was initially drafted in 2000 by Pittsburgh and
initially reached the majors with Texas in 2004.
He won a career-best 12 games in 31 starts with the Rangers in 2005 and had 11
wins in 31 starts the following year with San Diego, then saw his number of
starts drop to 30 in 2007, 18 in 2008 and 14 in 2009.
He appeared in just eight big-league games with the Padres and Mets in 2009
and 2010, winning three times.
Start No. 14 this year resulted in a 6-2 loss to Colorado after Young allowed
four runs on five hits in seven innings.
He's 3-3 in eight career starts against Philadelphia with a 3.42 ERA.
On Sunday in New York, Ike Davis hit a pair of homers, including the game-
winning blast in the ninth, and the Mets edged the Houston Astros, 2-1, in the
finale of a three-game set at Citi Field.
The Mets led 1-0 entering the ninth, but Houston was able to tie it up when
Marwin Gonzalez doubled to left field to score Jose Altuve.
Altuve got on base with a pinch-hit single and stole second before Gonzalez
sent one down the left field line. Lucas Duda made a sliding attempt but
couldn't hold on, allowing Altuve to score easily.
Ben Francisco followed with a single to left but Gonzalez was cut down at the
plate after Duda delivered a strike and Kelly Shoppach blocked the plate.
"I mean I had to (block the plate), I had to do something," Shoppach said. "I
had to stop him somehow with the game that tight."
Bobby Parnell (3-3) picked up the win after recording the final two outs in
the ninth.
Jeremy Hefner started for the Mets and allowed one run on five hits and struck
out seven over eight-plus innings.
"I felt good, pretty much everything was working," Hefner said. "I battled and
made pitches when I had to. They were really aggressive and I tried to use
that to my advantage."
New York took the final two games of the series after losing six straight.
In Philadelphia, Cliff Lee (3-7) allowed just one run over seven strong
innings, scattering seven hits and striking out five to help the Phillies
complete a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals with a 4-1 triumph.
"It's been a strange year," Lee said. "The only thing I can really control is
my preparation, focusing on my routine and trying to keep my mind in the
moment. Hopefully, I can keep that going and finish this year strong."
The 33-year-old left-hander didn't walk a batter in the win, his second of the
season against the Nats, while Josh Lindblom recorded the final two outs of
the eighth and fired a perfect ninth to nail down his first major league save.
Lee added an RBI double at the plate, while Jimmy Rollins and Laynce Nix each
homered to secure the Phillies' second sweep of the season and extend their
winning streak to four games.
The Mets have won eight of the first 12 games between the teams in 2012,
including two of three in the most recent series in New York from July 3-5.
Philadelphia took the 2011 season series, 11-7.
The Sports Network