Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Posted: 12:30 p.m.
CSNPhilly.com
Phillies (46-28) at Cardinals (40-34), 8:15 p.m. on CSNESPN
Starting Pitchers
Phillies: Cliff Lee (7-5, 3.12) has won each of his last three starts, logging a 0.38 ERA over that stretch. He threw a two-hitter against Florida on Thursday, but his numbers on the road have not been very good of late. Aside from a three-hitter at Washington on April 14, Lee is 0-4 with a 7.07 ERA on the road, including a 3-1 loss to the Cardinals on May 16 where he walked a career-high six batters.
Cardinals: Kyle Lohse (7-3, 2.88) has gone 0-1 with a 6.51 ERA in his last three starts after going 7-2 with a 2.13 ERA in his first 11 outings. The former Phillie gave up three homers in six innings Thursday in a 7-4 loss to Washington.
Previous games
The Phillies opened this series with a bizarre 10-2 victory on Tuesday night. They were trailing 2-1 in the eighth before scoring nine times in the frame, thanks in large part to wildness by the St. Louis bullpen. Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley did have two-run singles in the inning, while Ben Francisco and Ryan Howard also drove in runs against the Cardinals relievers.
The loss for the Cardinals was their eighth in 10 games.
Head-to-head
The Cardinals took both games from the Phillies, outscoring Philadelphia 5-2 during the mid-May short series between the two clubs. After this three-game series, the teams will meet again in Philadelphia from Sept. 16-19.
Whos hot?
Howard has at least one hit in nine of his last 10 games and four hits in his last eight at-bats. ... Utley has 11 RBIs in his last nine games. ... Carlos Ruiz went 4-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI on Tuesday. ... For St. Louis, Daniel Descalso is 4-for-10 with a double and three walks in his last four games.
Storylines
Can Lee continue his masterful work over the last two weeks, or will the wildness that plagued him in his last start against the Cardinals return tonight? ... Will Placido Polanco be in the lineup after taking a pitch off his hand in Tuesday's contest? ... The Cardinals bullpen took a beating last night - most of it self-inflicted - so it will be important for Lohse to give the team a quality outing tonight.
Sound off
Are there any active (or former) managers that you dislike more than Tony La Russa?