Today the impressive Phils are in Florida again and after getting the win in game one of the series, will look to put together a series win behind Kyle Kendrick. The Phillies are looking for their third win in a row and 11th in their last 13 games. This is an impressive feat, losing Howard this week to an ankle sprain, Shane Victorino to an oblique strain, Rollins for a few last week with a badly bruised left foot, and a scare from Ibanez who bent his hand back diving for a fly ball. This is obviously nothing new from the Phils who have only started their projected opening day 2010 lineup 8 times this season, yet still find themselves 10 games over .500 and only two games back of the division leading Atlanta Braves (who continue their series tonight with the NY Mets).
PHI +114 (Kyle Kendrick) @ FLA -135 (Sanchez)
Kendrick gets the start for the Phils tonight, and has been amazing in his last several starts. Minus one seven run implosion on July 19 at St. Louis, Kyle has allowed 1 earned run or fewer in the other 2 starts sandwiching the seven-run meltdown. In his two starts since taking over the spot in the rotation for Jamie Moyer, who left his start with a “popping” elbow injury, the Phillies are 2-0, winning in a 13-4 combined fashion, and Kyle went 13.1, allowed only 10 hits and 2 earned runs (both were solo homeruns). Kendrick also put together a 2:1 k:bb rate in those last two. This, however, will be his first road start since the dreadful one at Busch.
Today he gets the Marlins’ offense, minus the shipped out Cantu and DL’ed Coghlan, and faces a handful of new faces. The Fish are coming off an impressive west coast swing which got a lot of folks talking about a possible surge to the playoffs. If that is to come to fruition, the Marlins are going to have to win series like this one, against division rivals and teams they are trailing in the standings.
Anibal Sanchez (10-10, 3.33) goes for Florida and is coming off a complete game, one hit performance at San Francisco on the 29th. Sanchez struggled a little bit in back-to-back road outings (@ATL and @AZ), getting the loss in each, and allowing a combined 9 earned in 10 innings, but since then has been very good to say the least. Sanchez has gone 21.0 innings in his last three starts, only allowed 4 runs and 14 hits, while striking out 19 and walking 6.
Sanchez hasn’t gotten a ton of support this season, considering the Marlins’ .500 record in his starts and his very good season numbers. Today he gets the chalk and a very nice line, too. He always seems to give the Marlins a chance to win, and should shut the Phils’ offense down a little bit with all of their missing faces, and keep his team in this one. I’m still not sure how the Phillies keep managing to win these games, but this game is one the Marlins absolutely have to have if their fans and sports folk are going to be able to keep talking about the outside chance of them making it into the playoffs in 2010.
The Phillies get lucky in this series, missing JJ and Nolasco. If they are to win tonight with Kendrick on the mound, then a sweep is a real possibility with Roy Oswalt’s second start as a Phillie on Thursday.
This is a tough one, should be a battle, but I can't turn my back on a team that has won 10/12 and gets plus money.
PHI +114 (Kyle Kendrick) @ FLA -135 (Sanchez)
Kendrick gets the start for the Phils tonight, and has been amazing in his last several starts. Minus one seven run implosion on July 19 at St. Louis, Kyle has allowed 1 earned run or fewer in the other 2 starts sandwiching the seven-run meltdown. In his two starts since taking over the spot in the rotation for Jamie Moyer, who left his start with a “popping” elbow injury, the Phillies are 2-0, winning in a 13-4 combined fashion, and Kyle went 13.1, allowed only 10 hits and 2 earned runs (both were solo homeruns). Kendrick also put together a 2:1 k:bb rate in those last two. This, however, will be his first road start since the dreadful one at Busch.
Today he gets the Marlins’ offense, minus the shipped out Cantu and DL’ed Coghlan, and faces a handful of new faces. The Fish are coming off an impressive west coast swing which got a lot of folks talking about a possible surge to the playoffs. If that is to come to fruition, the Marlins are going to have to win series like this one, against division rivals and teams they are trailing in the standings.
Anibal Sanchez (10-10, 3.33) goes for Florida and is coming off a complete game, one hit performance at San Francisco on the 29th. Sanchez struggled a little bit in back-to-back road outings (@ATL and @AZ), getting the loss in each, and allowing a combined 9 earned in 10 innings, but since then has been very good to say the least. Sanchez has gone 21.0 innings in his last three starts, only allowed 4 runs and 14 hits, while striking out 19 and walking 6.
Sanchez hasn’t gotten a ton of support this season, considering the Marlins’ .500 record in his starts and his very good season numbers. Today he gets the chalk and a very nice line, too. He always seems to give the Marlins a chance to win, and should shut the Phils’ offense down a little bit with all of their missing faces, and keep his team in this one. I’m still not sure how the Phillies keep managing to win these games, but this game is one the Marlins absolutely have to have if their fans and sports folk are going to be able to keep talking about the outside chance of them making it into the playoffs in 2010.
The Phillies get lucky in this series, missing JJ and Nolasco. If they are to win tonight with Kendrick on the mound, then a sweep is a real possibility with Roy Oswalt’s second start as a Phillie on Thursday.
This is a tough one, should be a battle, but I can't turn my back on a team that has won 10/12 and gets plus money.
