Craig Davis
Sunday's Lineup
20 DIME ---- PHILLIES (With Happ and Vazquez as listed pitchers)
PHILLIES (with Happ and Vazquez) --- This is turning out to be a very exciting series as the Braves continue to chase the Phils while the road team is trying to create a little distance between themselves and Florida and Atlanta. The Phillies should have taken Saturday's game, but closer Brad Lidge blew his 8th save of the year and Atlanta ended up winning 4-3. You know what's funny... I actually contemplated releasing a 10-dime bonus play on the Phillies, but at the last moment I walked away from it basically because I got wet feet. Something didn't feel right. Can you imagine how pissed I'd be had I released that play and lost another game in the 9th inning (Texas blew it in the 9th Friday). I think that blown save by Lidge will light a fire under Philly's butts and they will come out and give Javier Vazquez a whipping like he hasn't had in a while.
There's no doubt Vazquez has pitched well this year as evidenced by his 2.90 ERA, but his 4.41 career ERA vs. Philly along with his last outing against them has me thinking he just doesn't like pitching against Philadephia very much. Granted, his overall W/L record is 11-7, but his other numbers are, at best, average and I'm not sure he's coming into this contest with a lot of confidence. The Phils own the league's best road record (36-20) and, for whatever reason, seem to want to play away from home. Had they won yesterday's affair, the Phillies would be sitting on a 5-game road winning streak and I'm not sure I'd count on them to be able to make it 6 in a row. Having lost the way they did, I'm liking them even more... especially with J.A. Happ on the hill.
Happ (8-2, 2.75 ERA) has been absolutely filthy over his last three starts, allowing just four earned runs over 21 innings of work while posting a 2-1 record. Happ's last start vs. Atlanta resulted in 7 innings, 7 hits and just two earned runs. Though he lost the game, he pitched well enough to win and I don't see the Phillies failing him this time around. Happ's career record vs. Atlanta is 1-0 in three starts and his ERA is a respectable 2.49 including a .203 opponents' batting average. Happ will get the best of Vazquez tonight and the Phillies will win the rubber game of this series.
