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Oswalt-Latos set for pitchers' duel in San Diego
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (11-6)
at SAN DIEGO PADRES (8-10)
First pitch: Thursday, 10:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Philadelphia -110, San Diego +100, Total: 6.5
After snapping its first losing streak of the 2011 season with a come-from-behind victory over Milwaukee, the Phillies invade the left coast eager to see how healthy one of their four aces is feeling after leaving his last start due to injury.
Back pain forced Roy Oswalt (2-0, 2.50 ERA) from his most recent outing last Friday. He allowed two runs and four hits with six strikeouts in six innings, but didn't get a decision in a 4-3 loss to Florida. Thanks to a rainout the following day, Oswalt was able to get an extra day of rest to recover from the spasms. Despite being bothered by back issues previously during his career, the pitcher was not as concerned about the severity this time around. "This is totally different," he told the Phillies' official website. "This is nothing like that. This is middle back. It's not really lower back. Most of the time when I have trouble with it, it's lower back. This is middle.” Oswalt is 10-2 (his team is 13-3) in 16 career starts against the Padres with an ERA of 2.52 and a WHIP of 1.04. He has four straight quality starts (32 IP, 16 H, 5 ER, 30 K, 5 BB) versus San Diego including last August 27 when he got a no-decision in a 3-2 Phillies victory. In that game Oswalt went eight innings, allowing one run on five hits, striking out six and walking none.
The Phils are coming off a 2-3 homestand where their bats were less than “Phantastic.“ Philadelphia scored just 13 runs in the five games, and only hit three home runs as a team during that stretch, two of which came from Placido Polanco. The timing of those dingers were the key. With his team trailing 3-0, and after having scored just three runs in 26 innings against Brewers pitching, Polanco took starter Chris Narveson deep with two men on in the 6th inning Wednesday to tie the game at three. Two innings later Shane Victorino (5-for-29 entering the game) hit a solo shot for his second homer of the year to give the Phils the lead. Jose Contreras held that lead, notching his fourth save in four tries as Philly avoided the sweep.
The Padres return home after dropping 2-of-3 in Chicago against the Cubs. The San Diego bats struggled in the Windy City, scoring just one run in 21 innings, and dropped the first two games of the series in extra innings. The Padres scored five runs to take the final game of the series. Despite that, San Diego is finding that life without its longtime slugging first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (who is now a multi-millionaire with the Red Sox) is difficult. Gonzalez had 31 HR and 101 RBI last season. Without him, the Padres are at the bottom of the league in runs scored, batting average, and slugging percentage.
Thursday’s starter Matt Latos is making his third career start versus Philadelphia. In his previous two outings (both last year), he posted a 3.00 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. It is a small sampling for Latos against the Phils, and when you consider that in his two starts against Philly, the opposing pitchers have been Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt, you can excuse him for being winless. He’s only given up nine hits while fanning 12 batters in 12 innings versus Philadelphia. Thursday Latos hopes his third career outing against a Phillies pitcher named Roy (Roy Story 3?) has a happier ending for him and his team. Latos has been roughed up in 2011, going 0-2 with a 5.84 ERA. But his low WHIP (0.97) and 13 K/4 BB ratio has kept his team in the games he has started. If the Padres run support (dead last in the majors in BA, next to last in runs scored) cannot pick things up, Latos may need to be perfect to give his team a chance Thursday night. If they get base runners, San Diego hopes it happens when Nick Hundley (.339, 3 HR, 9 RBI) is coming to the plate. He is the Padres’ top offensive threat right now.
Philadelphia is 10-4 (+3.9 Units) against San Diego over the past three seasons, including 6-0 (+6.6 Units) in San Diego. Despite the fact that the Phillies have lost the opening game of a series in each of the last five series they have played, the pick here is for Oswalt and Philadelphia to take care of the light-hitting Padre lineup. The following two FoxSheets trends also support the Phillies as the pick.
PHILADELPHIA is 78-36 (68.4%, +30.2 Units) against the money line vs. teams whose hitters strike out 7 or more times/game over the last 2 seasons. The average score was PHILADELPHIA 5.3, OPPONENT 3.7 - (Rating = 1*).
ROY OSWALT is 80-34 (70.2%, +32.4 Units) against the money line vs. teams whose hitters strike out 7 or more times/game since 1997. (Team's Record). The average score was OSWALT 5.0, OPPONENT 3.4 - (Rating = 1*).
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (11-6)
at SAN DIEGO PADRES (8-10)
First pitch: Thursday, 10:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Philadelphia -110, San Diego +100, Total: 6.5
After snapping its first losing streak of the 2011 season with a come-from-behind victory over Milwaukee, the Phillies invade the left coast eager to see how healthy one of their four aces is feeling after leaving his last start due to injury.
Back pain forced Roy Oswalt (2-0, 2.50 ERA) from his most recent outing last Friday. He allowed two runs and four hits with six strikeouts in six innings, but didn't get a decision in a 4-3 loss to Florida. Thanks to a rainout the following day, Oswalt was able to get an extra day of rest to recover from the spasms. Despite being bothered by back issues previously during his career, the pitcher was not as concerned about the severity this time around. "This is totally different," he told the Phillies' official website. "This is nothing like that. This is middle back. It's not really lower back. Most of the time when I have trouble with it, it's lower back. This is middle.” Oswalt is 10-2 (his team is 13-3) in 16 career starts against the Padres with an ERA of 2.52 and a WHIP of 1.04. He has four straight quality starts (32 IP, 16 H, 5 ER, 30 K, 5 BB) versus San Diego including last August 27 when he got a no-decision in a 3-2 Phillies victory. In that game Oswalt went eight innings, allowing one run on five hits, striking out six and walking none.
The Phils are coming off a 2-3 homestand where their bats were less than “Phantastic.“ Philadelphia scored just 13 runs in the five games, and only hit three home runs as a team during that stretch, two of which came from Placido Polanco. The timing of those dingers were the key. With his team trailing 3-0, and after having scored just three runs in 26 innings against Brewers pitching, Polanco took starter Chris Narveson deep with two men on in the 6th inning Wednesday to tie the game at three. Two innings later Shane Victorino (5-for-29 entering the game) hit a solo shot for his second homer of the year to give the Phils the lead. Jose Contreras held that lead, notching his fourth save in four tries as Philly avoided the sweep.
The Padres return home after dropping 2-of-3 in Chicago against the Cubs. The San Diego bats struggled in the Windy City, scoring just one run in 21 innings, and dropped the first two games of the series in extra innings. The Padres scored five runs to take the final game of the series. Despite that, San Diego is finding that life without its longtime slugging first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (who is now a multi-millionaire with the Red Sox) is difficult. Gonzalez had 31 HR and 101 RBI last season. Without him, the Padres are at the bottom of the league in runs scored, batting average, and slugging percentage.
Thursday’s starter Matt Latos is making his third career start versus Philadelphia. In his previous two outings (both last year), he posted a 3.00 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. It is a small sampling for Latos against the Phils, and when you consider that in his two starts against Philly, the opposing pitchers have been Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt, you can excuse him for being winless. He’s only given up nine hits while fanning 12 batters in 12 innings versus Philadelphia. Thursday Latos hopes his third career outing against a Phillies pitcher named Roy (Roy Story 3?) has a happier ending for him and his team. Latos has been roughed up in 2011, going 0-2 with a 5.84 ERA. But his low WHIP (0.97) and 13 K/4 BB ratio has kept his team in the games he has started. If the Padres run support (dead last in the majors in BA, next to last in runs scored) cannot pick things up, Latos may need to be perfect to give his team a chance Thursday night. If they get base runners, San Diego hopes it happens when Nick Hundley (.339, 3 HR, 9 RBI) is coming to the plate. He is the Padres’ top offensive threat right now.
Philadelphia is 10-4 (+3.9 Units) against San Diego over the past three seasons, including 6-0 (+6.6 Units) in San Diego. Despite the fact that the Phillies have lost the opening game of a series in each of the last five series they have played, the pick here is for Oswalt and Philadelphia to take care of the light-hitting Padre lineup. The following two FoxSheets trends also support the Phillies as the pick.
PHILADELPHIA is 78-36 (68.4%, +30.2 Units) against the money line vs. teams whose hitters strike out 7 or more times/game over the last 2 seasons. The average score was PHILADELPHIA 5.3, OPPONENT 3.7 - (Rating = 1*).
ROY OSWALT is 80-34 (70.2%, +32.4 Units) against the money line vs. teams whose hitters strike out 7 or more times/game since 1997. (Team's Record). The average score was OSWALT 5.0, OPPONENT 3.4 - (Rating = 1*).
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