The Phillies take a five-game winning streak into Coors Field for a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies, which begins tonight (see game notes).
Behind Cole Hamels, they'll vie for a sixth straight victory, their longest winning streak since Sept. 5-12, 2012, when they won seven consecutive games.
And they'll do so with Chase Utley back in the six-hole of the batting order. After Utley had a day off Sunday and hit sixth Friday and Saturday, manager Ryne Sandberg has his second baseman there again hitting behind third baseman Maikel Franco and ahead of centerfielder Odubel Herrera.
Utley's hit well in his first two games as the sixth hitter, going 3 for 6 with two doubles, two RBIs and a walk. On the season, his .138 batting average is lowest in the majors among 177 qualified hitters.
“We’ll take it a game at a time and see what happens,” Sandberg said last Friday. “It doesn’t have to be a negative. If he can get going there and get some hits, it’s an RBI spot.”
“For Chase, just a little change of scenery, maybe change his mindset a little bit, change his luck, change the surroundings, who’s in front of him, who’s behind him. Just a change. I think he’s tried just about everything else and I’ve tried a few things with him.”
Here's the rest of the Phillies' lineup:
MLB
1. Ben Revere, LF
2. Freddy Galvis, SS
3. Grady Sizemore, RF
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Maikel Franco, 3B
6. Chase Utley, 2B
7. Odubel Herrera, CF
8. Carlos Ruiz, C
9. Cole Hamels, P