Philadelphia Phillies (33-38) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (38-31)
Cliff Lee (0-3, 3.48 ERA) vs. James Shields (7-4, 3.72)
Time: 7:05, Citizens Bank Park
TV: CSN
Weather: Lower 90′s, rainy
Media: Twitter and Facebook
After dropping the final game of the first series of this home stand last night to the Rockies 4-1, the Phillies turn to Cliff Lee tonight as they take on the Rays.
That is good news for the Phillies for a few reasons. Lee, despite not recording a win yet this year, is posting very good numbers. His 3.48 ERA, while not among the NL leaders, is still a very good mark, and his 3.12 FIP is among the NL leaders.
On top of that, the Rays have struggled against left handed pitchers this year. They are 9-14 against left-handed starters, and hit just .225 against lefties overall.
James Shields will pitch for the Rays, and he’s coming off two starts against the Marlins where he threw a combined fourteen innings, giving up just one earned run and twelve hits. In the two starts prior, however, he posted a 8.18 ERA.
Shields was the starting pitcher in the Rays lone win against the Phillies in the 2008 World Series.
Lineup: Rollins SS, Pierre LF, Pence RF, Ruiz C, Wigginton 1B, Polanco 3B, Mayberry CF, Martinez 2B, Lee P
Your Gameday Beer: The Phils playing a Florida team so we’ll go with a Florida beer. Landshark is brewed by Anheuser Busch and the new king of Florida, Jimmy Buffet. It seems to be a direct competitor to Corona – the beers look similar in appearance and are really only palatable when they’re ice cold and you’re burning in the sun. So if you’re lucky enough to be in that climate, have some spicy Thai food tonight. -By Brian
Go Phillies!
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