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.
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