"They're right behind us, and this is a chance to make some separation," said Mike Pelfrey, who opposes Brett Myers in Friday's opener.

Fresh in everyone's minds will be last year's historic collapse. The Mets led the Phillies by seven games with 17 to play, only to be caught the final weekend of the 2007 regular season.

This time, the Mets are playing solid baseball down the stretch. They return home off a 6-2 three-city trip that included stops in Philadelphia, Miami and Milwaukee.

"What happened last year is over," shortstop Jose Reyes said. "This is a new year for us. We've got a good thing going. We're in first place. Hopefully it can continue like that because it's not going to be easy. Philadelphia has a very good team, too."