Gameday: Phillies (64-48) at Braves (60-54)
Atlanta Braves (60-54)
Joe Blanton (7-6, 4.02 ERA) vs.
Jair Jurrjens (9-8 3.01 ERA)
Time: 7:30 p.m at Turner Field
Weather: Sunny, 82
TV: WPHL-17
Twitter: Phillies Nation
Fresh off of a sweep of the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley, the Phillies leave the Windy City for Hotlanta.
In the three-game drubbing of the Cubbies, the bats came alive, while the pitching remained stellar. Joe Blanton will toe the rubber tonight, hoping to keep pace with his mates. If his recent track record is any indicator, he should have no problem. Blanton has tossed six straight quality starts dating back to early July. In that same period, Big Joe has gone seven or more innings in five of those six. However, in four career starts against Atlanta, Blanton has not had much success, posting an 0-1 record, with an ERA north of eight.
Going against Philadelphia is Jair Jurrjens. The native of the Netherland Antilles has put together a stellar ’09 campaign, with an ERA just a hair above three. His last two starts, both against the Dodgers, have been duds, as he failed to go more than five innings in either. Still, he’s been quite good against the Phillies in his short career, standing with a 3-2 record in six starts.
While the Phils are gaining some heat, the Braves are just as warm, having won five straight. Their recent dismantling of the Nationals (two-game sweep) and Dodgers (three-game sweep) show that the Braves are as dangerous as they have been all year. Atlanta sits just five games back, so this series is oozing with importance as we hit mid-August.
Tonight’s brew comes out of the blue – Moose Drool from the Big Sky Brewing Co. in Missoula, Montana. It’s a Brown Ale similar to Newcastle but this aptly named beer has more flavor. The smooth brown color and creamy texture come from just the right amount of malt. The chocolate and caramel flavors are delicious and not too sweet that you can’t enjoy several of these. You should also enjoy something similar to a bacon burger with bbq sauce alongside it. – By Brian
GO PHILLIES!
