New York @ Philadelphia preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 22, 2011 ) NY Mets 0, Philadelphia 10

THE STORY: The Philadelphia Phillies stumbled a bit during their three-game road trip to the nation's capital this past weekend. They certainly hit the ground running during Monday's 10-0 rout of the New York Mets in the opener of a six-game homestand. The Phillies will look to win the series against their National League East rivals for the fifth time in as many sets this season when they reconvene at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday. For their part, the beleaguered Mets mustered just five hits Monday en route to dropping their fourth straight and 16th in 21 games.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), WPHL (Philadelphia)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Jonathon Niese (11-10, 4.05 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Vance Worley (8-1, 2.76 ERA)

After New York provided 19 runs of support during a two-game winning streak, Niese wasn't as fortunate in his last two outings. The Mets mustered just three runs total to let a pair of quality starts go into the record book as losses. Last Tuesday, Niese allowed three runs in six innings in an eventual 6-1 loss to the San Diego Padres. Niese has split six career decisions against Philadelphia - including four this year.

Worley rebounded from his worst outing of the season by allowing one hit over three innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. A pronounced rain delay prematurely ended Worley's evening as he settled for his second straight no-decision. The 23-year-old rookie has posted a 2-1 mark against the Mets. After splitting the first two outings, Worley allowed one run on four hits to pick up the win in a 7-2 triumph on July 15.

ABOUT THE METS (60-67): Although starter Dillon Gee had a forgettable evening, New York's bullpen continued to show more holes than Swiss cheese. The Mets' relievers have allowed at least two runs in six straight games and one run in their last nine. Angel Pagan saw his streak of four straight multi-hit games come to an end with an 0-for-3 effort on Monday. Pagan, who made an early exit with a stomach virus, failed to reach base for the first time in 17 games in August. Lucas Duda had two of his team's five hits on Monday. The mammoth Duda has hit safely in three straight and six of his last eight contests.

ABOUT THE PHILLIES (82-44): Prior to Monday's contest, shortstop Jimmy Rollins was placed on the disabled list with a strained groin. Wilson Valdez replaced the 2007 NL MVP and opened the scoring with an RBI single in the second inning. All-Star third baseman Placido Polanco returned from the disabled list and went 2-for-4. The veteran has fared well against Niese, collecting seven hits and five RBIs in 18 career at-bats. Shane Victorino extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a two-run triple in the second inning.

FINAL PITCH: Philadelphia bounced back from Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Washington Nationals with a pronounced victory on Monday. The Phillies have not lost two in a row since June 5.