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Phillies-Rays Preview

Jun 24, 2009 - 3:53 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Philadelphia (36-31) at Tampa Bay (37-34), 7:08 p.m. EDT

Facing the Tampa Bay Rays seems to bring out the best in the Philadelphia Phillies no matter how poorly they've been playing.

After snapping their longest losing streak of the season, the visiting Phillies look for a second straight victory over the Rays on Wednesday night as they continue their rematch of last season's World Series.

In their first meeting since Philadelphia won Game 5 to secure its first world championship in 28 years, the NL East-leading Phillies (37-31) scored six times in the first inning and snapped a six-game losing streak with a 10-1 rout of the Rays on Tuesday.

"We got some big hits early. We got some runs and we got a lead and was able to hold it," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.

Chase Utley had three hits, including his 16th homer, and four RBIs for Philadelphia, which improved to a major league-best 24-9 on the road after coming off a 1-8 homestand. The Phillies are averaging 6.1 runs per game on the road - 1.5 more than at home.

Utley, who hit .167 (3 for 18) with two homers during the World Series, was 2 for 19 in his previous five games. Among the top vote-getters for next month's All-Star game, Utley is hitting .314 with eight RBIs in interleague play this season.

After missing Sunday's loss to Baltimore with acute sinusitis, slugger Ryan Howard went 1 for 4 with an RBI on Tuesday.

"Am I 100 percent? No," said Howard, who's driven in 31 of his 55 runs on the road. "But I'm a lot better."

Having roughed up rookie David Price in the opener, Philadelphia looks to get the best of Tampa Bay's Matt Garza (4-5, 3.83 ERA), who hasn't won since May 16.

Garza, who allowed four runs in six innings of a 5-4 loss at Philadelphia in Game 3, is 0-3 with a 4.33 ERA in his last six starts. He gave up four runs - and five hits - including three homers - in five innings of a 4-3 loss at Colorado on Thursday.

"I have to pitch better than I did," said the right-hander, who's 2-2 with a 4.38 ERA in six interleague starts.

The Phillies counter with Joe Blanton (4-3, 5.28), who allowed two runs and struck out seven in six innings of their 10-2 victory over the Rays in Game 4.

Blanton, who's 7-5 with a 4.13 ERA in 17 interleague starts, has won his last three decisions, but hasn't factored in the outcome of his three most recent appearances. In his last outing, Blanton gave up four runs and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings of an 8-7 loss to Toronto on Thursday.

Jason Bartlett's RBI single Tuesday extended his career-best hitting streak to 17 games for Tampa Bay (37-35), which has lost four of its last six games since winning a season high six in a row.

The Rays are fourth in the AL East and don't look like the same club that made an improbable run to the World Series a year ago.

"It really seems like such a long time ago right now," manager Joe Maddon said. "Again, we're still attempting to make his year better than last year."

Bartlett is batting .391 (25 for 64) with 18 RBIs during his hitting streak, which is one shy of the franchise record.