Philadelphia Phillies (41-34) at Cincinnati Reds (43-35)
Roy Halladay, RHP (9-6, 2.29 ERA) vs. Aaron Harang, RHP (6-7, 5.07 ERA)
Time: 12:35, Great American Ballpark
Weather: Sunny, 77
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Twitter: @philliesnation
Game 1 of the Post-Utley/Polanco Experiment went about as well as it could go. Wilson Valdez played second base and hit a three-run bomb. The Phillies won the game, the Braves and Mets lost, and all is well with the world. Greg Dobbs went hitless, but we’ll give him a pass after the roller-coaster ride the team put everyone on. Dobbs tenure at third will be of the day-to-day variety, it would seem.
To today’s matchup, where Roy Halladay looks for double digits in wins for the sixth straight season. He’s faced the Reds twice in his career and has gone 1-0 with a 3.68 ERA. Who would you rather have on the mound with a series win at stake? Lets do it…
Aaron Harang is opposite the Doc and has been relatively sub-par this year, and for the previous two years as well. Over his past 71 starts, Harang has just 18 victories against 38 losses. The Phillies have shelled him over nine career starts, as he’s given up 32 earned runs over just 54 innings of work. After last night’s wild victory, an easier way to win would be to have Doc shut down a touch Cincy lineup and have Harang implode early. Seems possible given the circumstances.
LINEUP: Victorino CF, Dobbs 3B, Rollins SS, Howard 1B, Werth RF, Ibanez LF, Valdez 2B, Sardinha C, Halladay P
Your Gameday Beer– Samuel Adams Latitude 48
As part of the Sam Adams Brewmaster’s Collection, and one of the newest to grace the Sam name, Latitude 48 is a unique IPA brewed with a select blend of hops from top German, English, and American growing regions all located close to the 48th latitude within the “hop belt” of the Northern Hemisphere. I’ve yet to try this beer, but basically anything made by these guys is brilliant. For the early day game, have some smoked salmon for lunch, it’s a great pairing. -By Pat
GO PHILLIES!