PHI: 40-26, 1st in NL East; FLA: 32-32, 3rd in NL East
When: June 14-16
Where: Citizens Bank Park (Philly, PA)
Probable Pitchers
Tuesday: Cole Hames (8-2, 2.58) vs Chris Volstad (2-6, 5.51)
Wednesday 1: Kyle Kendrick (3-4, 3.47) vs Elih Villanueava (0-0, -.–)
Wednesday 2: Roy Halladay (9-3, 2.39) vs Anibal Sanchez (6-1, 3.06)
Thursday: Cliff Lee (6-5, 3.41) vs Javier Vazquez (3-6, 7.09)
Broadcast Info
Tuesday, 7:05, PHL 17
Wednesday 1, 1:05, CSN
Wednesday 2, 7:05, CSN
Thursday, 1:05, CSN
All Games on 1210 AM
Player to Watch – Anibal Sanchez: Sanchez is looking to be the only legitimate pitcher the Marlins are throwing at the Phillies this series. But even he has had his struggles of late.
Sanchez is coming off a tremendous May in which his ERA for the month was 1.66 in six starts with a 4-0 record and 44 strike outs in 43 1/3 IP. But in two starts during June, he’s allowed a total of eight runs and saw his ERA shoot up from a 2.57 to 3.06.
Sanchez will be facing Roy Halladay in the second game of a day/night double-header on Wednesday. He will look to rebound from his previous two rocky starts and give the Marlins their best chance at what looks like could be their only win of the series.
Overview: The Phillies lead the season series, 3-2, with one postponement due to rain back on April 16. That game is being made up on Wednesday, creating a scenario where the Phils are playing three games in 24 hours with a day game on Thursday.
With a four-game set, the Phils have a real chance at putting the Marlins, who trail seven games heading in, even deeper in the abyss known as the NL East. Also, at least three wins against a struggling Marlins team can help them keep pace in front of a hot Braves team (winners of six straight).
Florida has only one win in their last 10 games, a stretch that has dropped them from only two games back of the Phils and in second place down to a distant third behind Atlanta.
And with the Phils offense appearing to heat up, the corps of bad pitching they’re throwing at the Phils this series could really swing heavily against them.
Chase Utley has been great as of late. Utley is hitting .286 (12-for-42) in his last 10 games with a homer and six RBIs. He’s also doubled twice and tripled once in that span.
Placido Polanco is second on the team with 37 RBIs while leading the team with a .309 average from the two, three and five-spots in the order. Ryan Howard, fresh off a 3-for-3 game on Sunday, leads the team with 53 RBIs and 13 home runs.
Marlins young stars Logan Morrison and Gabby Sanchez have been fantastic this season. Despite missing some time with a leg injury, Morrison is hitting .299 with eight homers and 24 RBIs. Sanchez is having a monster season, leading the team with 41 RBIs and a .312 average. He trails only Mike Stanton (16) in homers with 11.
TTB 