Tonight’s main event will go down in Flushing, where Philadelphia and New York will collide with first place in the National League East at stake. Florida, which is just one game back of the loop’s co-leaders, will try to bounce back from last night’s 4-0 loss to Atlanta.

In the American League, the Yankees are hoping to stay hot when they host the Twins in the Bronx. Also, Boston will try to keep pace with the Rays as it continues its west-coast trip.

Let’s take a deeper look at Tuesday’s card.

**Mets at Phillies**

--Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened New York (53-46, -232) as a minus 175 favorite with a total of eight ‘over’ (minus 130). The Mets are plus 115 on the run line (minus 1 ½ runs).

--Johan Santana (8-7, 3.10 ERA) will get the ball for the Mets, who are 28-18 at home. Santana is 1-0 with a 2.75 ERA in three career starts against the Phillies. The southpaw has a 4-3 record and 2.64 ERA in nine home assignments.

--Philadelphia (53-46, -228) owns a 21-14 record against left-handed pitching. Charlie Manuel’s club is 26-23 on the road.

--Joe Blanton (5-12 4.96) will get his first start since the Phillies acquired him for three minor leaguers in a trade with Oakland last week. With Blanton now in the rotation, Adam Eaton was sent to the bullpen.

--Jimmy Rollins is hitless in seven career at-bats against Santana. Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard are 2-for-7 and 2-for-6, respectively, against the lefty. Neither slugger has taken Santana deep.

--The ‘over’ is 52-44 overall for the Mets, 23-23 in their home games. As for the Phillies, they have watched the ‘under’ go 53-50 overall, 26-23 in their road outings.

--Mets closer Billy Wagner is “questionable.”

Advertisement

**Twins at Yankees**

--LVSC opened New York (54-45, -695) as a minus 145 ‘chalk’ with a total of 9 ½ ‘over’ (minus 120). As of early this morning, most books had the Yankees in the minus 125-130 range, while the total was now shaded to the ‘under.’ Bettors can collect a monster plus 170 payout (risk $100 to win $170) by backing the Bronx Bombers on the run line.

--Joe Girardi’s squad has won four in a row, including last night’s 12-4 triumph over the Twins. The Yankees prevailed as minus 130 favorites, hooking up money-line backers with a plus 160 return.

--Minnesota (55-44, +1,639) remains the best money team in baseball despite back-to-back losses. Ron Gardenhire’s team has been less lucrative on the road, limping to a 21-25 record.

--Minnesota RHP Kevin Slowey (6-6, 4.26) is 3-3 with a 4.47 ERA in eight road starts.

--New York RHP Darrell Rasner (5-7 4.97) is 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA in a pair of lifetime starts against the Twins.  

--The Yankees are in third place in the AL East, 4 ½ games back of the division-leading Rays. Meanwhile, the Twins are just one-half game back of the White Sox for the AL Central lead.

--The Yankees placed catcher Jorge Posada on the disabled list Monday. He might be looking at season-ending surgery.

--The Twins have seen the ‘over’ hit at a 58-46 overall clip, which is third-best in the majors. They have watched the ‘over’ go 30-19 in their road games.

--The ‘under’ is 59-42 overall for the Yankees, 31-21 in their home outings.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--San Diego RHP Jake Peavy owns a 5-0 record and 2.08 ERA in eight career starts against Cincinnati.

--Pittsburgh rallied from a 3-2 deficit to win a 9-3 decision Monday at Houston. The Pirates seven-run outburst in the ninth inning allowed the ‘over’ to improve to 34-14 in their road games.

--The ‘under’ is an MLB-best 57-36 in Oakland games. In the A’s 4-0 loss at Tampa Bay last night, the ‘under’ cashed for the sixth straight time.

--The ‘over’ had hit in four consecutive games before Atlanta won 4-0 Monday at Florida. The ‘under’ is now 33-13 for the Braves on the road.