Gameday Padres (11-22) at Phillies (15-18)

San Diego Padres (11-22) at Philadelphia Phillies (15-18)

Edinson Volquez (1-2, 2.98) vs. Roy Halladay (3-2, 3.28)

Time: 7:05 Citizens Bank Park
TV: CSN
Weather: Partly cloudy, 76
Media: Twitter and Facebook

The Phillies showed some life in last night’s 7-3 win over the Padres and will look to continue their solid play tonight behind Roy Halladay. However, Halladay hasn’t been so Halladay-like this season, as his outings have been inconsistent to say the least. In his last start against the Mets, he went seven strong, allowing just two runs. But two starts ago, against the Braves, he allowed eight runs over 5.1 innings, one of the worst starts of his career.

Almost all of his numbers this year have drawn some concerns from many analysts and fans, including his velocity, BB ration, K ratio, among others. A solid start tonight could help to ease the worries of many Phillies fans out there.

The good news is that he has been dominant against the current crop of Padres hitters. Collectively, they only hit .252/.292/.293 against him, and have just four extra base hits–none of them home runs–in 130 total plate appearances. Youngster Yonder Alonso has only faced Halladay four times, but has already gotten a double and a walk off of him.

Opposing Halladay will be Edinson Volquez, and he’s having a decent season so far. After he facing the Phillies and giving up three runs over six innings on April 20, his ERA hit a season high at 4.60. Since then, he’s pitched 19.1 innings over three starts, and has given up just three earned runs, bringing his ERA down to 2.98. On top of that, current Phillie hitters have posted just a .221/.326/.416 against Volquez, with Hunter Pence

struggling the most, collecting just three hits in twenty-one at-bats against the Padres righty.

Tonight should be a low-scoring affair, and since the Padres offense is even worse than the Phils, along with the fact that Roy Halladay will take the mound, I’m thinking a 3-1 victory for the good guys tonight.

Lineup: SS Rollins, 3B Polly, CF Victorino, RF Pence, 1B Wigginton, C Ruiz, LF Mayberry, 2B Galvis, P Halladay

Your gameday beer: Pete’s Brown Ale

Pete’s Brown Ale is a beer from the Bear Republic Beer Co. in California. It’s made with molasses and brown sugar, so it’s bitter, slow and thick. Eat a steak with a sweet potato with this one. – By Brian

GO PHILLIES!