Phils Welcome Angels
If the Philadelphia Phillies plan on contending for the World Series this season, this week may be a pretty good taste of what they would see if they get there.
Fresh off two straight losses to the AL’s top team, the Phillies hope to fare better against the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels, who visit Philadelphia for the first time on Friday night.
Oddsmakers from Sportsbook.com have made Philadelphia -119 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has been set at 9.5 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 61% of bets for this game have been placed on Philadelphia -119 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
Though they still lead the NL East, the Phillies (42-32) have lost three consecutive series for the first time this year, each time dropping two of three to a team with a winning record.
After losing series at Florida and St. Louis, they returned home and got the same result against the AL-best Boston Red Sox. They lost 3-0 on Tuesday, and their big bats were again held in check in a 7-4 loss Wednesday.
The Phillies are second in the NL in runs per game (5.3) and home runs (103), but they haven’t homered in either of the last two games. Chase Utley, who leads the majors with 22 homers, was 0-for-4 Wednesday, extending his career-worst slump to 20 straight at-bats without a hit.
We’re Sending 100 Players To |
And Play Our $40,000 MLB |
Bet on All The UEFA Matches From Anywhere in The World |
"In order to play with those guys, we have to play better," manager Charlie Manuel said of the Red Sox. "I’d like to see them again."
Los Angeles (43-30) should provide another good test, but the Angels also have struggled in interleague play, losing their last two series to Atlanta and the New York Mets. It’s the first time they have lost consecutive series since last July.
They beat Johan Santana on Tuesday, but still dropped two of three to the Mets after losing 5-4 in 10 innings Wednesday. Closer Francisco Rodriguez blew a save in the ninth inning after converting a franchise-record 25 straight chances, and New York won in the 10th when Damion Easley homered off Justin Speier.
"I really thought we had a chance to win this series, and it is frustrating, but we’re going to get things going here," Speier told the Angels’ official Web site.
Los Angeles will try to do it behind Ervin Santana, who will be looking to rebound from perhaps his worst start of the season. Santana (8-3, 3.40 ERA) matched a season low by pitching 5 2-3 innings Saturday, allowing a season-high six runs and nine hits in a 9-4 defeat.
"I still made good pitches, but I guess those were the pitches they were looking for," Santana said.
While Santana has no experience against the Phillies, Philadelphia’s Adam Eaton (2-4, 4.57) will make his fifth start against the Angels on Friday. The previous four came while he was with Texas in 2006 as he went 2-1 with a 6.52 ERA.
Los Angeles’ Garret Anderson has gone 6-for-13 with a home run against Eaton, who has allowed three or fewer runs in five consecutive starts while compiling a 3.06 ERA.
These teams have only met in one other series, as the Angels took two of three from Philadelphia in Anaheim in June 2003.
This is the Angels’ first trip of the season to an NL ballpark after they won all three of their road interleague series last year. They are a major league-best 21-12 on the road this season as they enter a nine-game road trip which also includes three games apiece against Washington and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia will be making his first managerial appearance in his hometown. Scioscia, a Phillies fan as a child, starred at Springfield High School in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Did you like this article? Subscribe to our Baseball news feed for the fastest updates delivered right to you – Click here to Subscribe