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Reds-Phillies Preview

Jul 7, 2009 - 5:58 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Cincinnati (40-41) at Philadelphia (43-37), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies gladly left Citizens Bank Park a couple weeks ago. They're probably hoping this 10-game stretch at home would last even longer.

The surging Phillies go for their fifth straight win at home Tuesday night when they continue their four-game set with the Cincinnati Reds.

Following a 2-1 loss to Baltimore on June 21 that capped off a 1-8 homestand, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said, "I think it won't hurt us to get on the road."

After batting .217 with eight home runs during a six-game skid at Citizens Bank Park that ended June 21, the Phillies are hitting .336 (44 for 131) with seven homers during the first four games of their current homestand.

Monday's 22-1 series-opening victory over Cincinnati was Philadelphia's highest-scoring game since a 26-7 win over the New York Mets on June 11, 1985, at Veterans Stadium.

"It was one of those nights where everything we hit was falling and we hit some hard," Manuel said after his team's season-high 21-hit effort, which was also the Phillies' second-highest total at the six-year-old Citizens Bank Park.

The NL East-leading Phillies (43-37) matched a franchise record with 10 first-inning runs as Shane Victorino, Greg Dobbs and Chase Utley all homered.

Philadelphia last scored 10 runs in the first inning in an 18-3 victory over the Montreal Expos on June 2, 2002.

Victorino and Dobbs each had four hits, while Jayson Werth hit a grand slam and shortstop Jimmy Rollins went 3 for 4 with an RBI double. Rollins has nine hits in 18 at-bats since he snapped a career-worst 0-for-28 skid in Thursday's 5-2 loss at Atlanta.

Left-hander J.A. Happ (5-0, 2.96 ERA) did not factor in the decision in that contest after giving up two runs and seven hits over seven innings. Happ, who is 3-0 with a 3.16 ERA in eight starts since being inserted into the rotation May 23, has never faced the Reds.

Cincinnati (40-41) counters with Aaron Harang (5-8, 3.86), who is 0-4 with a 4.65 ERA in seven starts since his last win May 25 against Houston. The veteran right-hander had a no-decision in Thursday's 3-2, 10-inning win over Arizona despite striking out eight and yielding two runs over seven innings.

Harang, who defeated Philadelphia on May 20, has received just 3.77 runs per start - one of the lowest run-support averages in the NL.

After batting .308 during in winning six of their previous nine, the Reds are hitting .177 (11 for 62) while being outscored 32-2 in their last two games.

"That's the worst beating I can remember on a baseball field," manager Dusty Baker told the Reds' official Web site Monday after the 140-year-old franchise's worst-ever defeat. "There's not a whole bunch to say. We just got slaughtered."

Cincinnati's previous worst loss was 26-6 to the Phillies on July 26, 1892.

Philadelphia has won six of eight at home versus Cincinnati.