Brett Myers, Jimmy Rollins, Mike Schmidt and Tropical Storm Hanna set up a nine-hour showdown today against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium that could pull the Phillies into a first-place tie in the National League East or drop them as far back as four games with 19 to play.

The threat of Hanna led to the postponement of yesterday afternoon's game between the Phillies and Mets, setting up the day-night doubleheader.

Jamie Moyer will face Pedro Martinez in Game 1 at 2:15 p.m.

Cole Hamels will face Johan Santana in Game 2 at 8:05 p.m.

Should the Phillies sweep, memories of choke jobs past should creep back into the minds of the Mets.

Should the Mets sweep, they are on their way to exorcising their demons.

But that won't be known until later tonight. As dreary Shea Stadium sat empty yesterday, the Mets only could reflect on the events that transpired in Friday's 3-0 loss to the Phillies.

Myers continued his Nolan Ryan impression. He allowed just three hits and struck out 10 in eight shutout innings. He is 6-1 with a 1.55 ERA in nine starts since he returned from his four-start stint in the minor leagues. Only Milwaukee Brewers lefthander CC Sabathia (7-0, 1.24 ERA) has had a better ERA in baseball since the all-star break.

"It's no secret that when he gets guys in scoring position and has to bear down, he'll use his fastball a little bit, but he really goes to his curveball," catcher Chris Coste said.

"And they know it. That's when you know how good a pitch is. It's like a Santana changeup or a Cole Hamels change-up. Even when the hitters know it's coming, it's still incredibly tough to hit and that's where his curveball is at right now."

While the Mets could not hit Myers, they could sit and chew on the words from Schmidt and Rollins.

Schmidt sent a note to the Phillies to pump up the team before the game. In the e-mail, which was posted on the clubhouse door, he wrote, "The Mets know you're better than they are. They remember last year."

Oh, really?

"Did Gary Carter send us one?" Mets closer Billy Wagner said to the Associated Press.

Jimmy Rollins, who has been Public Enemy No. 1 among Mets fans since he correctly called the Phillies as the team to beat in the NL East in 2007, said he read just the first few lines from Schmidt's e-mail. He said he didn't read the part about the Mets.

"No, what did he say?" Rollins asked.

The Mets know that you're better than they are.

"Oh, well, that part is true," Rollins said.

Oh, it is definitely on.

Schmidt also said the Mets would be thinking about last year.

"I think it's only natural, if we win all three games," Rollins said. "If not, then they'll take a deep breath and get a chance to probably gather themselves, but if we win all three games, naturally, you're going to think about that."

Rollins stoked the fires of this rivalry with his "team to beat" proclamation last year, and then backed up his words with an MVP season. Mets centerfielder Carlos Beltran, chest out with the acquisition of Santana in the off-season, said this February that the Mets were the team to beat in 2008.

The Phillies dismissed Beltran's boast.

"He's just trying to pull a Jimmy, when you can't have a sequel," Myers said in February. "Sequels are always terrible."

The Phillies don't like the in-game antics from the Mets.

The Mets don't care.

All these things have built up this Phillies-Mets rivalry, which culminates in a huge doubleheader in the Phillies' last trip ever to Shea Stadium. If the Mets think the Phillies are better than them, like Schmidt and Rollins suggested, they can erase those self-doubts with a good showing today.

If the Phillies continue to roll, Schmidt and Rollins' words could be proved true.

"Welcome the challenge that confronts you this weekend," Schmidt wrote.

That challenge looks even bigger today.

or tzolecki@phillynews.com. Read his blog at http://go.philly.com/phillieszone.