New York.- Pedro Martinez, now a member of the rival Phillies and the three-time Cy Young Award winner, was back in New York on Friday as Philadelphia prepared to open a four-game series against the struggling Mets.

Martinez will pitch Sunday his third start for the NL East-leading Phillies since agreeing to a one-year, $2 million contract on July 15. Coming off four injury-plagued seasons with the Mets, the 37-year-old right-hander sat out more than half the year while waiting for a deal that suited him.

"I'm very happy to be back. I'm very happy to see some old friends," Martinez said at a Citi Field news conference. "I'm now in a different uniform -the only thing that changes is the colors. I remain the same person. They remain the same players. I'm just looking forward to having a blast."