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Blue Jays-Phillies Preview

Jun 17, 2009 - 4:53 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Toronto (34-31) at Philadelphia (36-25), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies had no problem with the AL East's best in the World Series last year, but their interleague performance against the toughest division in baseball hasn't been quite as impressive on their current homestand.

They'll hope to avoid their fourth loss in five games when they continue a three-game set with the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, as 46-year-old Jamie Moyer takes the mound looking to help rest the Phillies' tired bullpen.

In October, Philadelphia (36-26) won all three of its home games against Tampa Bay to clinch the club's first World Series title since 1980, but Boston - which currently leads the division - took two of three at Citizens Bank Park over the weekend.

The Blue Jays opened this series with an 8-3, 10-inning win Tuesday after starting their interleague slate with six straight losses. Toronto tied the game off Ryan Madson in the ninth on Lyle Overbay's bases-loaded walk and former Phillie Scott Rolen's RBI single started a five-run 10th.

Although the Phillies still lead the NL East by three games over the New York Mets, their bullpen once again broke down Tuesday as the team played into extra innings for the fourth time in its last six games.

Philadelphia relievers have averaged more than five innings per game over that span, and the unit has a 6.33 ERA in the first four games of the homestand. Phillies ace Cole Hamels only lasted six innings Tuesday, and the bullpen allowed eight walks and six runs in four innings.

"It's very frustrating when you're supposed to be the guy going seven or eight innings," Hamels said. "It puts a lot of stress on the bullpen."

A fourth straight quality start from Moyer (4-5, 6.11 ERA) would certainly help.

The season began as a major struggle for the left-hander, but Moyer is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA and no walks in his last three outings, with opponents batting .227 over that span.

"I feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to do," he told the Phillies' official Web site on Thursday, after allowing three runs in six innings of Philadelphia's 6-3, 10-inning win over the Mets.

Moyer is 14-8 with a 5.27 ERA in 37 appearances - 35 starts - versus Toronto in his long career. Alex Rios has gone 9 for 19 (.474) with four doubles, a triple and a home run while Vernon Wells is 13 for 38 (.342) with two homers against him.

Blue Jays right-hander Scott Richmond, meanwhile, has never faced the Phillies. Ace Roy Halladay was originally scheduled to start Wednesday, but he was pushed back after straining his groin in his last start.

Richmond (4-3, 3.90) has been bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen lately, and is looking for his first win since May 3. In his last five starts, he's 0-3 with a 5.81 ERA.

He'll hope to get some support from a Blue Jays lineup that stranded 16 runners in the opener - the team's most since April 24, 2004 against Baltimore.

"We did everything we could to give that game away, but we'll take it," manager Cito Gaston said Tuesday.

The Blue Jays (35-31) had begun interleague play with three straight losses at Atlanta and three more at home against Florida, and they had lost four straight overall before arriving in Philadelphia. They've dropped 17 of 25 since May 19.