Thursday, May 26, 2011
Posted: 10:45 a.m.
CSNPhilly.comPhillies (30-19) vs. Reds (26-24), 1:05 p.m. on CSN
Starting Pitchers
Phillies: Cliff Lee (3-4, 3.38) is coming off his best start in over a month, throwing eight shutout innings in a 2-0 win over the Rangers on Saturday. Lee, who struck out a career-high 185 batters last season, is currently second (to Roy Halladay) in the NL in strikeouts with 78 in 65 innings. For what its worth, he is on pace to punch out 258 batters this season.
Reds: After missing the first month of the season with shoulder issues, Homer Bailey (3-1, 2.08) has been the Reds best starter since his return. In four starts, Bailey has allowed just 23 baserunners in 26 innings. The Reds have won three of the four games Bailey has started this year.
Previous games
The Phils won a 19-inning marathon on Wednesday nightThursday morning, defeating the Reds 5-4 in the six-plus-hour game. Having exhausted all options from the bullpen, Charlie Manuel was forced to move Wilson Valdez from second base to the mound in the 19th inning. Despite facing the heart of Cincinnatis batting order, Valdez allowed no hits and after Raul Ibanez game-winning sac fly, he became the first position player since Babe Ruth (1921) to start a game in the field and end the game as the winning pitcher.
Head-to-head
Bailey is 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA in three career starts against the Phillies. He has, however, allowed just one hit to Chase Utley in nine career at-bats. Scott Rolen is 8-for-17 lifetime against Lee with three doubles and a home run.
Lee has struck out Jay Bruce three times and allowed zero hits in six career at-bats. In eight starts against the Reds, Lee is 4-2 with a 4.69 ERA.
Whos hot?
Jay Bruce is unconscious at the plate, having driven in nine runs in three games to open this series against the Phils. During his current seven-game hit streak, Bruce has recorded 15 hits and five home runs in 31 at-bats.
Ryan Howard has at least one hit in each of the last five innings, totaling eight knocks in 22 at-bats during his hit streak. He also has an extra-base hit in four of those five games, notching two homers and two doubles since Saturday.
Storylines
The Phils will try to take their third game from the Reds in four tries, but they will have to do it less than 12 hours finishing Wednesday nights contest. Since the Phils bullpen has piled up 19 innings of relief over the last three days, it is imperative that Lee goes relatively deep into the series finale.
Sound off
After which part of last nights game did you cheer the loudest: Howards game-tying bomb in the 10th, the third out of Valdez scoreless 19th, or Ibanez walk-off sac fly?