Series Preview: Phillies at Braves, May 1-3

After a brief homestand, the Phillies head back on the road and travel to Atlanta to begin a 3-game series against the Braves. It will be the first match up between the two teams since the Phillies swept the Braves in the closing series of the 2011 season to force Atlanta to miss the postseason.

The Phillies won 12 of 18 meetings with the Braves last season, including the last 7 contests.

Read ahead for loads of info on the pitching match ups for this series and plenty more.

Tuesday, 7:10 PM. Cole Hamels (3-1, 2.73 ERA) vs. Brandon Beachy (2-1, 1.05 ERA). Hamels has an 11-6 record with a 3.72 ERA in 24 career outings against the Braves. In 12 career appearances at Turner Field, Hamels has a 4.16 ERA. Dan Uggla is 8-for-50 (.160 avg) with 2 doubles and 2 homeruns in his career against Hamels. In 6 career starts against the Phillies, Beachy is 0-3 with a 3.94 ERA and a .286 batting average against. Beachy is 4-2 with a 3.63 ERA in 15 career starts at Turner Field. Shane Victorino is 4-for-10 (.400 avg) against Beachy, while Carlos Ruiz is 5-for-8 (.625 avg) with 2 doubles and a HR against Beachy.

Wednesday, 7:10 PM. Roy Halladay (3-2, 1.95 ERA) vs. Tommy Hanson (3-2, 3.00 ERA). Halladay, who has lost his previous two starts, has lost three consecutive starts as a Phillie just once, in June 2010, when he dropped games against Miami, the Yankees and Minnesota. In 3 career starts at Turner Field, Halladay has posted a 1-1 record with a 1.13 ERA. Dan Uggla is 10-for-25 (.400 avg) with a triple and 3 HR in his career against Halladay. At home this season, the right-handed Hanson is 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA in 2 starts. In 7 career starts against Philadelphia, Hanson is 1-2 with a 2.23 ERA and a .226 batting average against. Hunter Pence is 2-for-12 (.167 avg) in his career against Hanson.

Thursday, 12:10 PM. Joe Blanton (2-3, 3.81 ERA) vs. Randall Delgado (2-2, 6.30 ERA). Blanton is 1-4 with a 5.43 ERA and a .288 batting average against in 11 career games against Atlanta. Blanton is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 6 career games at Turner Field. Dan Uggla is 3-for-22 (.136 avg) with a double against Blanton in his career. The right-handed Delgado will be making his 12th career big league start. In 7 home starts, the 22-year-old Delgado has a 4.41 ERA.

Carlos Ruiz batted .304 in 15 games against Atlanta last season. In 11 road games this year, Ruiz has posted a .364 batting average.

In 81 career games against the Braves, Placido Polanco is a .309 hitter. Polanco batted .206 in 9 games at Turner Field last season.

Hunter Pence is a .302 hitter in 14 career games at Turner Field with a double and a homerun. Heading into action on Monday, Pence had posted a .158 batting average against lefty pitchers this season.

Dan Uggla posted a .176 batting average in 18 games against the Phillies last season.

Former Phillie Michael Bourn is a .307 career hitter against the Phils in 30 games. Heading into action on Monday, Bourn had posted a remarkable .436 batting average at home this season.

Outfielder Jason Heyward missed Monday's game against the Pirates with an oblique issue.

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This Guy Speaks For All of You

This individual, interviewed by FOX 29 on Friday as the Phillies arrived back at Citizens Bank Park, said it best. When asked how he felt regarding the Phillies, he told Steve Keeley that he was, "Stoked, baby!" The unidentified phanatic then proclaimed, "We are talking about the Fightins here, the Fightins! Said!" Check out the media player below, as the transcribed version certainly does not do this phireball of phandom justice. The Phillies forced game 6 of the National League Championship Series with a 4-2 victory over the Giants in San Francisco on Thursday night. Game 6 will feature Roy Oswalt vs. Jonathan Sanchez in a return pitching match up from game 2. First pitch is scheduled for 7:57 pm EST at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Be sure to tune in on 97.3 ESPN's Weekend Sports Guide with Tyrone Johnson this afternoon around 1:15pm to hear me chatting about the Phillies! 97.3 is based in Atlantic City. You can listen live online HERE . _________

McGwire Stays Phony, Despite Admitting Drug Use

Mark McGwire made an effort to publicly come clean today, admitting to the world that he took performance enhancing drugs during his playing career. Steroids and human growth hormones were among the drugs that McGwire admitted to using. MLB Network featured a one on one interview with Bob Costas and McGwire on Monday evening. The broadcast was virtually garbage, thanks to McGwire. Ahead is a list of quotes from McGwire's interview. McGwire repeatedly stated his point of view that there were no dishonorable intentions involved when taking steroids, and that he was merely using them as a means to recover from varying ailments. When asked if he felt like he cheated... "As I look back now...I can see how people would say that. As far as the talent goes and the hand-eye coordination, the ability, the genetics I was given...I don't see it." "I did not take this for any strength purposes." Denial. Read on for similar B.S. He whined about the abuse he'

18-inning Marathon Results in Early Return For Doc

Righty hurler Roy Halladay , who was slated to appear in another rehab outing for Double-A Reading on Sunday will return to the big league club instead, following a marathon of baseball Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park. In Saturday night's (Sunday morning's?) 12-7 defeat at the hands of the Diamondbacks, the Phillies sent nine pitchers and two position players to the mound to make it through the lengthy affair. Starter Ethan Martin could not escape the opening frame, as he allowed three hits, three walks and three earned runs. Over the 4 2/3 innings that followed, Luis Garcia and Zach Miner allowed a combined four earned runs. The remainder of the relief corps including Cesar Jimenez , Justin De Fratus , Jonathan Papelbon , Jake Diekman and B.J Rosenberg combined for 6 2/3 scoreless innings while Sunday's originally scheduled starter Tyler Cloyd was called upon to toss five scoreless frames. As the need to use Cloyd approached, the Phillies d

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