The Phillies seek their sixth home series victory of the season with a seasoned veteran on the hill.
Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies
Atlanta ended a two-game skid with a 6-3 extra-innings victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park and quieted the home town media about making a run at the first place team. “All you heard last night, whether you were watching television, listening to the radio, was the fact this series was going to turn the momentum around,” Braves third baseman Chipper Jones said. The club is now 3-2 in July (+70) after going 17-11 in June and 20-8 in May. Atlanta gets set to deal with a left-handed starter for the 26th time this season, posting a 12-13 record in those games (-260) and 63-68 mark the last three years (-1,500).
Braves starting pitcher Kris Medlen is 5-1 with a 3.01 ERA in 23 games (10 starts) this season (+870), including leading his team to seven straight victories. The right-hander enjoyed a perfect June, posting a 3-0 record and 3.51 ERA and carried it over into his first start this month. He allowed just a single run and six hits over 6.1 innings of work, failing to pick up a decision in the Braves 4-3 home victory over the Marlins. Medlen has eight lifetime outings versus the Phillies, allowing 19 hits and seven runs in 12.1 frames.
Philadelphia still finds itself in third place in the NL East division and has struggled mightily in clutch situations. The lineup is batting .212 with runners in scoring position the last seven games. “When you’ve got a man on third with nobody out, you’ve got to score,” manager Charlie Manuel stated. The Phillies dropped to 21-16 at home this season (-530), as they look to capture their sixth series victory at Citizens Bank park tonight (5-3-4). The team has cost bettors a marginal amount of money at home with a moneyline of -100 to -125 this season (2-2, -20) and over the last three years (20-21, -360).
Phillies starting pitcher Jamie Moyer is 9-7 with a 4.13 ERA in 16 starts this season (+200). The 47-year-old veteran is 5-2 with a 2.94 ERA in seven home starts (+180), giving up just 33 hits and walking four batters in 52 innings of work. Fourteen of his starts have been under the lights, posting an 8-6 record and 4.43 ERA. Moyer will be making his 19th career appearance (17 starts) against the Braves, producing a 6-9 mark and 4.76 ERA. He picked up a 7-0 complete game shutout over the Braves at Citizens Bank Park on May 7, scattering two hits and not issuing a single free pass.
Bettors will definitely highlight the Braves 4-10 record in their last 14 road games versus a left-handed starter due to their struggles against tonight’s starter earlier this year. Philadelphia has picked up the cash in four of Moyer’s last five starts versus Atlanta and the team is 37-17 in his last 54 starts against NL East opponents.
