IT ISN'T clear if the standing ovation that Joe Blanton received as he exited the field yesterday was louder than the ovations that rained from the stands throughout the 2008 season. But given the paucity of such occasions thus far this year, the roar sounded deafening.

So, too, did the ovation Jamie Moyer received on Saturday, and the one Rodrigo Lopez enjoyed the night before. Suddenly, fans at Citizens Bank Park have a reason to stand up and shout things other than obscenities.

And the Phillies' 2-0 victory over the Mets yesterday, capping a three-game sweep of their NL East rivals that brought a screeching end to a tumultuous 3 weeks of losing, was the best evidence yet of what kind of potential they have when the starting pitching provides a reason to cheer.

"That's exactly what we want to see," said manager Charlie Manuel, who watched his team improve to 42-37 and maintain a one-game lead over the Marlins in the East. "When we put up games like that, that's what we call consistent pitching."

Also reassuring has been the three-game renaissance experienced by Jimmy Rollins, who sent Johan Santana's second pitch of the game sailing into the seats in leftfield for his seventh home run of the season. Rollins, who recently endured a career-worst 0-for-28 slump, finished the series 5-for-11, prompting Manuel to superstitiously brush off a question about the revival of his leadoff man.

But while Rollins, who had two of the Phillies' three hits, and Chase Utley, who hit a solo home run in the sixth off Santana, played pivotal roles in yesterday's victory, it was the starting pitcher who once again stole the show.

Unlike yesterday, when Blanton got David Wright to ground into a bases-loaded doubleplay that ended the sixth inning then received a hero's welcome two innings later after he was replaced by J.C. Romero, Phillies' starters have not given the home crowd much to clap about this season.

In the 35 home games before the sweep of the Mets, when Lopez, Moyer and Blanton combined to allow three runs in 20 innings, Phillies starters had combined to produce just 13 quality starts. Of those 13, all but four came in games in which the Phillies would go on to lose. Mention the term quality start - which is when a pitcher throws at least six innings and allows fewer than four runs - to many pitching coaches and you will be greeted with a roll of the eyes. After all, there isn't much quality in a 4.50 ERA, which is what three earned runs in six innings would equate to. But it does show just how infrequent solid home pitching performances have been for the Phillies.

Almost every memorable outing by a starter this season has occurred on the road: Cole Hamels' shutout at Dodger Stadium, Antonio Bastardo's major league debut in San Diego, J.A. Happ's shutout in Toronto.

The result? Very few occasions in which the home crowd had enough inspiration to rise and acknowledge a departing starter.

But that changed this weekend. First with Lopez, who allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings on Friday night in his first major league game in 2 years, then with Moyer, who allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings in a 4-1 win Saturday, and finally with Blanton, who yesterday outdueled Santana. Blanton allowed four hits in 7 1/3 scoreless innings.

Blanton, who is 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA in his last eight starts, did not allow an extra-base hit. He retired 14 of the first 16 batters he faced and did not allow a runner to reach second until the sixth inning. It was then that Blanton ran into his only trouble of the game, walking Luis Castillo and then allowing a bunt single to Santana. After Alex Cora's sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with one out and the Phillies leading, 1-0, Blanton walked Daniel Murphy to load the bases. That set the stage for Wright, who entered the day hitting .329 with a .415 on-base percentage.

"With the bases loaded, you're just trying to make good pitches and hopefully get something on the ground for a doubleplay," Blanton said.

He threw three straight fastballs inside to Wright, who hit a grounder to Jimmy Rollins that started the inning-ending doubleplay.

"I really got the result I wanted," Blanton said. "If you get a strikeout [in that situation], you go to the next hitter and they still have a chance. So that's what I'm going for there. I'm not really a strikeout guy."

Blanton left the game with one out in the eighth. Romero hit the only batter he faced and righthander Chan Ho Park got Murphy to ground into an inning-ending doubleplay. Brad Lidge then struck out the side in the ninth for his 16th save and the sellout crowd watched from its feet as the Phillies improved their home record to 16-22.

"The volume of the fans, I know throwing that ninth inning, it's getting loud again," Lidge said. "It's a lot of fun out there. And that's the same feeling we had last year, especially down the stretch. So that feeling is there, for sure." *

For more Phillies coverage and opinion, read David Murphy's blog, High Cheese, at http://go.philly.com/highcheese.