Skip to main content

Series Preview: Phillies at Dodgers, 8/30-9/1


The Phillies (73-57) seem back in control after recovering from a poor 4-game effort against the Astros by sweeping the team with the best record in the league in San Diego over the weekend. Philadelphia will visit Los Angeles for a 3-game series against the Dodgers (67-64) beginning Monday night.

Roy Halladay looks to take over the lead in all three pitching triple crown categories (Halladay already leads the National League in strike outs and ERA), as he needs a win to tie Ubaldo Jimenez and Adam Wainwright for the league's top spot with 17 W's.

LA will counter with Japanese born hurler Hiroki Kuroda, who was an excellent history against the Phillies, posting a 1-0 record and a 0.95 ERA against them in 3 starts.

The two teams have met the last two season in the playoffs, with the Phillies coming out on top both times. Philadelphia currently leads the Wild card race, by 1 1/2 games over San Francisco and sits 2 games behind the Eastern division leading Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers are 6 1/2 games behind the Phillies in the Wild card race, while they sit 10 games behind the West division leading Padres.

Continue reading for details on the pitching match ups and plenty more statistical information on this series.


Monday, 10:10pm. Roy Halladay (16-9, 2.22 ERA) vs. Hiroki Kuroda (9-11, 3.56 ERA). In 3 career starts against the Dodgers, Halladay is 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA. Former Phillie Rod Barajas is 0-for-9 in his career against Halladay. In 8 starts since the All-star break, Halladay has posted a 6-2 record with a 2.29 ERA. In his last 5 starts, Kuroda is 1-2 with a 3.66 ERA. Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino are a combined 0-for-19 against Kuroda in regular season games.

Tuesday, 10:10pm. Kyle Kendrick (8-7, 4.64 ERA) vs. Carlos Monasterios (3-4, 3.54 ERA). In 5 career starts against the Dodgers, Kendrick has a 2-3 record with an 8.14 ERA. Over his last 5 starts, Kendrick is 2-3 with a 5.53 ERA. Andre Ethier is 5-for-10 with 2 homeruns against Kendrick. Monasterios, who was once acquired by the Phillies from the Yankees in the Bobby Abreu/Cory Lidle trade, was taken in the Rule 5 draft last off-season by the Mets, who later sent Monasterios to the Dodgers. In 9 games since the All-star break, Monasterios is 0-2 with a 2.89 ERA.

Wednesday, 3:10pm. Roy Oswalt (9-13, 3.12 ERA) vs. Clayton Kershaw (11-8, 3.01 ERA). In 6 starts as a Phillie, Oswalt is 3-1 with a 2.18 ERA. In 6 games at Dodger Stadium, Oswalt is 3-3 with a 4.08 ERA. In 5 career regular season starts against the Phillies, Kershaw has posted a 0-3 record with a 5.67 ERA. In his last 4 starts this season, Kershaw is 1-1 with a 2.02 ERA.


Rod Barajas is a career .348 hitter with an 1.146 OPS in 24 games against the Phillies.

Matt Kemp is a .363 hitter in 27 regular season games against the Phillies. In 43 games since the All-star break, Kemp is batting .242.

In 27 career regular season games against the Phillies, James Loney is a .355 hitter.

In 43 games since the All-star break, Jayson Werth has posted a .321 batting average.

Placido Polanco is 2-for-17 (.118 avg) in his last 4 games. Polanco is 2-for-12 (.167) in his career against reliever Octavio Dotel.

In 20 career regular season games against the Dodgers, Brad Lidge has a 3.98 ERA and has blown 4 of 13 save opportunities.

_____________________________________________


Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE.

Comments

obc said…
KK will shut em down tonight!

Popular posts from this blog

PhoulBallz Interview: Reading second baseman Jesmuel Valentin

Jesmuel Valentin, image- Jay Floyd Switch-hitting infielder Jesmuel Valentin has been a bit of an underrated contributor with the Double-A Reading Fightins. Heading into action on Friday, Valentin was batting .339 over his last 14 games. Overall this season, the 22-year-old is batting .282 with four home runs and 35 RBI in 64 games. Valentin, who plays mostly second base, but dabbles at shortstop a bit also, is the son of former big leaguer Jose Valentin . The Puerto Rico native was a supplementary round pick (51st overall) of the Dodgers in 2012. He was acquired by the Phils as part of the Roberto Hernandez trade in 2014. Recently, I spoke with Jesmuel about his team's success, growing up around the game and more. Read ahead for that full interview. -The Reading team has been great and you've contributed very nicely to the club's success. What are your thoughts on competition in the Eastern League this year? I just came here with the mindset that...

2018 Phillies Prospect Countdown: #25 Second Baseman Jesmuel Valentin

Jesmuel Valentin, image- Jay Floyd Second baseman Jesmuel Valentin has become a solid contributor at each level he has played and could possess the ability to continue that success as he approaches the big leagues. Last year in spring training with the big league team Valentin proved he could contribute and earned consideration at making the Phillies opening day roster. His 2017 was cut short at the Triple-A level due to an injury in May, so he wasn't healthy for a call up during the season. But now, fully healthy and on the diamond in the Roberto Clemente League (the Puerto Rico Winter League), Valentin is hopeful he'll get another shot at his big league dream this year. Selected as the 51st overall draft pick in 2012, Valentin was quickly a well-hyped prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers system. Upon signing his initial professional contract fresh out of high school, the switch-hitter debuted in the rookie level Arizona League, posting a .211 average while...

Ring-a-ling

This week I heard old news about how when the Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl, they gave former Colt Edgerrin James a championship ring. "Edge" had been a Colt for seven years, and even though he was gone when they won the big one, the team and the coaching staff felt as though James had contributed in building the team that won it all, so they awarded him a ring. This got me wondering which people, in an extended Phillies phamily , would be deserving of a 2008 World Series Champions ring. I heard an interview with Mike Schmidt, in the days that followed the Series, and when asked if he thought he'd get a ring, he said, "They have my (ring) size." Schmidt, the Hall of Fame thirdbaseman , was a long time Phillie, a one time coach of the single-A Clearwater Threshers (where he managed World Series MVP Cole Hamels ) and appears as a guest hitting instructor in Phillies spring training every year. With all those things in mind, of course Mike Schmidt shou...