From a historical perspective, maybe it was entirely appropriate that the Mets opened the final Opening Day at Shea Stadium just like they did 44 years ago.

With a loss.

However, for a team that is trying to prove to itself, the league and its fan base that last season's monumental collapse was an aberration, Tuesday's defeat against the Phillies was anything but appropriate.

Carlos Delgado's throwing error on a potential inning-ending double play grounder allowed Philadelphia to tie the score and Jayson Werth snapped a 2-2 tie with an RBI single two batters later as the Phillies defeated New York for the ninth consecutive time and seventh straight in New York, 5-2, in front of 56,350 at Shea Stadium, a record attendance for a home opener.

Jimmy Rollins added a run-scoring single and scored on Chase Utley's double in the eighth for Philadelphia, which has not lost to the Mets since suffering an 8-3 defeat last June 30 at Citizens Bank Park.

Oliver Perez fired 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Delgado blasted his first home run for the Mets, who have lost three straight overall after winning two-of-three in Miami to start the season. At 2-4, New York is two games below .500 for the first time since Sept. 22. 2005.

Armed with a 2-0 lead heading into the seventh inning, Scott Schoeneweis was summoned from the bullpen to face the 9-1-2 hitter in the Philadelphia lineup. After retiring pinch-hitter So Taguchi on a groundout to second, Rollins (2-for-5, RBI) singled to left and moved to second on a single by Shane Victorino. Chase Utley was then hit by a pitch for a record-tying third time in the game, loading the bases for Ryan Howard.

Schoeneweis (0-1) got the ground ball he was looking for, but Delgado's throw to second hit Utley in the back and rolled into shallow center, allowing Rollins and Victorino to score, tying the game, 2-2. Jorge Sosa relieved and got Pat Burrell to fly out to left for the second out, but Werth (2-for-4, RBI) slapped a single into right field with the go-ahead run.

Rollins and Utley (1-for-2, 2B, RBI) added a pair of insurance runs off a shaky Aaron Heilman in the eighth to give Philadelphia three-run cushion.

Tom Gordon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to notch his first save of the year.

A prime culprit in their collapse last September, the bullpen has been horrid during New York's three-game skid. Beginning Saturday in Atlanta, Mets relievers have allowed 14 runs (12 earned) in just 8 1/3 innings for a 12.97 ERA.

While last season's results matter little, if at all in the new year, Tuesday's defeat was eerily similar to the Mets final eight losses to the Phillies in 2007. Blown leads late in games, poor fielding, a lack of clutch hitting and just bad luck has conspired to doom New York against their rivals from the south.

Delgado (2-for-4, HR) got the home crowd rocking with a 405-foot bomb off Jamie Moyer leading off the second and Ryan Church's bases-loaded groundout plated Delgado in the fourth for a 2-0 lead. The Mets had a chance to break the game open off Moyer (1-0), but Perez struck out with the bags juiced to end the inning.

Although the Mets hit several balls hard off the 45-year-old left-hander, Moyer was backed by some fine fielding by Victorino in center, who made three difficult grabs, one of which robbed Carlos Beltran of an extra-basehit as well as an RBI.

After allowing six runs (three earned) in just 3 2/3 innings in his season debut last week against the Nationals, Moyer was able to navigate through six frames, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks with one strikeout.

Although not as dominant as he was in his first start against the Marlins, Perez kept the potent Phillies offense off the board during his time on the mound. However, after retiring the first two batters in the sixth, the inconsistent southpaw was pulled after a walk, a balk and another free pass despite having thrown just 94 pitches. Mets manager Willie Randolph summoned Joe Smith, who walked Pedro Feliz to load the bases before getting Carlos Ruiz on a grounder to short for the final out.

Perez yielded just three hits and three walks with two strikeouts before jogging off to a standing ovation. The 26-year-old has yet to allow a run through his first two starts, spanning 11 2/3 innings.

Luis Castillo (sore knee) and Rollins (sprained left ankle) were removed from the game in the fifth and eighth innings, respectively. Both are considered day-to-day.

A key part in the demise of the 2007 Mets (2-4) was an inability to win at home as their 41-40 record at Shea last season attests. Mike Pelfrey (3-8, 5.57) will try and get his club back on the winning track as he makes his 2008 debut in the middle game of the three-game set. Originally scheduled to pitch last Saturday in Atlanta before a rainout on Friday altered the rotation, the 24-year-old will toe the rubber for the first time since March 28, a span of 11 days. Pelfrey's only career start against Philadelphia came last July 1; a 5-2 defeat which was the first of what is now nine straight losses against the 2007 Eastern Division champs. The Wichita State alum was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) in five innings.

With their second straight victory, the Phillies (4-4) will try and move over the .500 mark for the first time this season when they face the Mets on Wednesday. Kyle Kendrick (1-0, 7.20) will try and pitch his team to its 10th consecutive victory against New York as he makes his second start of the season. A surprise 10-game winner as a rookie in 2007, the 23-year-old picked up the win last Friday in Cincinnati despite allowing four runs and eight hits in five innings of work. Kendrick faced Pelfrey in the July 1 game at Citizens Bank Park which kicked off the Phils current nine-game winning streak against New York, earning the win after surrendering two runs in 6 2/3 frames.

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