(Sports Network) - The New York Mets' late collapse that cost them last year's National League East title began with a September sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Mets will try to avoid the same fate this season as they begin a three- game set with the Phillies tonight at Shea Stadium in the final series between the division rivals in 2008.

At this time last year, the Mets were five games up in the NL East, an edge that would swell to seven with 17 tests to go in the campaign. However, New York then dropped three straight to the Phillies from September 14-16 and ended the season losers of 12 of their last 17 games to lose the division to Philadelphia on the final day of the season.

While New York's lead isn't as large as last year, the club does enter this test on a four-game winning streak and are three up on the Phils for first- place in the standings.

While the Mets dropped their final eight games to Philadelphia last year, they enter this key set 10-5 versus the club this season.

New York's current win streak includes a three-game sweep of the playoff- hopeful Milwaukee Brewers, earning the feat with Wednesday's 9-2 victory. Ryan Church hit a grand slam as part of a six-run first inning, while Brian Schneider also went deep to help the Mets end an eight-game road trip at 6-2.

The club begins an eight-game residency tonight and is 41-25 at Shea this year.

Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado had a hit, drove in a run and scored once in Wednesday's win. He is hitting .304 (65-for-214) with 17 homers and 51 RBI since July 1, and has four homers in 15 games versus the Phils this year.

The Mets start Mike Pelfrey tonight, and the right-hander has a 1.71 earned run average over his last four starts. He had won three straight outings, including throwing the first two complete games of his career, before getting a no-decision versus Florida on Saturday. However, he gave up just two runs over 6 2/3 innings in that one.

Pelfrey, 24, is 13-8 with a 3.66 ERA this year and is 1-1 with a 4.80 ERA in three career tests versus the Phils.

Philadelphia counters with Brett Myers, who has also been on a roll as of late. The righty is 5-1 with a 1.78 ERA in eight starts since returning from a minor-league stint. He has won his last three starts and got to 8-10 with a 4.40 ERA on the season after defeating the Chicago Cubs with seven innings of two-run ball on Saturday. Myers worked around 11 singles in that one, while fanning eight.

The 28-year-old is 8-6 with a 5.19 ERA and three saves in 19 starts and five relief outings versus the Mets. His first start following his stay in the minors came against New York, and Myers got a no-decision while allowing three runs on three hits and five walks over five innings at Shea Stadium on July 23.

The Phils dropped two of three to Washington prior to this set, losing 9-7 on Wednesday to fall to 3-4 on a 10-game road trip.

Ryan Howard hit a pair of two-run homers in the slugfest, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. Howard is hitting .341 (14-for-41) with five homers and 11 RBI on the run, and he leads the majors with 39 homers so far this season. The first baseman's 119 RBI trails only Texas' Josh Hamilton (121).

Howard has five homers and 13 RBI in 15 games versus the Mets this year and is 2-for-8 lifetime versus Pelfrey.