Champs Return to LA

Tonight, the Phillies make their first visit to Los Angeles, California since clinching a trip to the 2008 World Series. It's a four game series, which will culminate with a prime time nationally televised game on Sunday night. The Phillies lost 2 of 3 games with the Dodgers, in Philadelphia, just three weeks ago. Read on for pitching match up details and plenty more notes.


Thursday, 10:10pm. Cole Hamels (3-2, 5.21 ERA) vs. Clayton Kershaw (3-2, 4.34 ERA). Kershaw is 0-2 with a 7.41 ERA in 5 career games against the Phillies, which includes last post season. Kershaw is 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA in 4 home starts this year. Cole has a 6.89 ERA in 3 road appearances this season. Cole was 3-0 with a 4.06 ERA in five May games, this year. June was Cole's best month last year, when he went 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP and a .187 batting avg. against over 5 starts.


Friday, 10:10pm. Jamie Moyer (4-5, 6.75 ERA) vs. Eric Milton (2-0, 3.14 ERA). Moyer's ERA over is last three starts is 4.50. Casey Blake, Mark Loretta and Juan Pierre are a combined 9-for-51 (.176 avg) in their careers against Moyer. Milton, the former Phillie, recently returned to the Majors after having Tommy John surgery a couple years ago. Milton was 14-6 with a 4.75 ERA in 34 starts for the Phillies in 2004. Milton has a 1-2 record and 5.56 ERA in 4 career starts against the Phils.


Saturday, 4:10pm. Joe Blanton (4-3, 5.86 ERA) vs. Hiroki Kuroda (1-1, 2.53 ERA). Blanton has won three straight starts. His ERA in those 3 games is 3.79. In 3 career games against the Dodgers, Blanton is 1-0, with a 3.32 ERA. Blanton started game 4 of the NLCS last year, and gave up 3 runs over 5 innings pitched. That was the Victorino/Stairs homer game against Jonathan Broxton. Kuroda has only made 2 starts this season, due to an oblique strain. Against Arizona on Monday, he let up 2 earned runs in 5 innings.


Sunday, 8:05pm. Antonio Bastardo (1-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. Randy Wolf (3-1, 3.21 ERA). Bastardo will be making his second Major League start. Wolf, another former Phillie has no decisions at home this season, through 6 starts, with a 3.86 ERA. In his career against the Phillies, Wolfy is 1-0 in starts with a 2.50 ERA and a .200 batting avg. against. Pedro Feliz is 4-for-16 with 3 homeruns in his career against Wolf.

Shane Victorino, who is questionable for this series due to a hip ailment, is hitting .458 (11-for-24) with 7 runs scored in the past 7 days.

Juan Pierre is a .312 career hitter with 38 steals in 94 games against the Phillies.

The Phillies on the road- 19 wins, 6 losses.
The Dodgers at home- 20 wins, 6 losses.

Phillies team batting average- .266.
Dodgers team batting average- .284.