Series Preview - Phillies at Mets: September 22nd to September 25th

Thursday, Friday and Saturday 7:10, Sunday 1:10
Citi Field - Flushing, NY

Phillies 69-83, 4th place in the N.L. East, 20 games behind the Nationals
Mets 80-72, 2nd place in the N.L. East, 9 games behind the Nationals

Phillies Probables:  Adam Morgan (2-10, 5.57), Jeremy Hellickson (12-9, 3.57), Alec Asher (1-0, 2.16), Jake Thompson (3-5, 5.62)
Mets Probables:  Seth Lugo (4-2, 2.35), Steven Matz (9-8, 3.40), Noah Syndergaard (13-9, 2.63), Robert Gsellman (2-2, 3.13)

At the Ballpark:  It's Fan Appreciation Weekend at Citi Field, with a whole host of giveaways scheduled.  On Friday, all fans will receive a Mets t-shirt and on Saturday all fans will receive a Mets fleece blanket.  On Sunday afternoon, the Mets final home game of 2016, all fans will receive a 2017 schedule magnet.

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Cesar Hernandez - .291
Runs:  Odubel Herrera - 82
Home Runs:  Maikel Franco and Ryan Howard - 22
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 79
Stolen Bases:  Odubel Herrera - 24

Wins:  Jeremy Hellickson - 12
ERA:  Jeremy Hellickson - 3.57
Strikeouts:  Jared Eickhoff - 154
Saves:  Jeanmar Gomez - 37

Mets Leaders
Average:  Yoenis Cespedes - .283
Runs:  Curtis Granderson - 76
Home Runs:  Yoenis Cespedes - 30
RBIs:  Yoenis Cespedes - 81

Stolen Bases:  Jose Reyes - 9

Wins:  Bartolo Colon - 14
ERA:  Noah Syndergaard - 2.63
Strikeouts:  Noah Syndergaard - 210
Saves:  Jeurys Familia - 49

1970 Topps #302

1970 Topps #634

1970 Topps Appreciation:  Jeff James has no connection to the Mets, but he's one of the few remaining Phillies cards from the 1970 Topps set I've yet to feature this season in these series preview posts.  In 35 games with the Phillies in 1968 and 1969, James went 6-6 with a 4.52 ERA over 147 1/3 innings pitched.  He was included within both the 1969 and 1970 Topps sets.

I wrote about Bud Harrelson's career and Phillies tenure in a series preview post from 2012:

In March 1978, the Phillies acquired Bud Harrelson from the Mets for Fred Andrews and cash.  Harrelson had spent the first 13 years of his career with the Mets and reunited with his former teammate and friend Tug McGraw, he hit .214 in 71 games with the '78 Phils. 

Harrelson retired following the season, but an injury to Larry Bowa, early in the 1979 season, convinced Harrelson to un-retire and come back to the Phillies.  (He became a teammate of former brawl-mate Pete Rose on the 1979 Phillies - see here and here.)  He hit .282 in 53 games in 1979, but was released at the end of spring training in 1980.  He played in 87 games for the 1980 Texas Rangers before calling it a career.