In the National League East, a defining stretch of schedule is in the offing as the first-place Philadelphia Phillies and second-place New York Mets begin a three-game set at Citi Field on Monday.  Going into the series,

BOTTOM LINE: The New York Mets host the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday to begin a three-game series. New York has a 69-61 record overall and a 41-24 record in home games. The Mets have gone 52-20 in games when they record eight or more hits.

August has been a month filled with ups and downs for the Philadelphia Phillies. Though they are currently 9-3 at home on the month, a lackluster mid-month road trip stunted a potentially game-changing lead over the New York Mets.