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Phillies-Red Sox Preview

Jun 11, 2010 - 5:01 AM By MATT BROWN STATS Editor

Philadelphia (31-26) at Boston (35-26), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies still can't seem to shake the offensive malaise that's engulfed them for more than three weeks.

Doing so this weekend won't be easy against one of the teams that started them on their slump.

Philadelphia tries to avoid another weak hitting performance and a fourth loss in five games Friday night when it opens a three-game interleague series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The Phillies (31-27) were riding high less than a month ago, with a 24-13 record and a five-game NL East lead through May 17. Little has gone right since. They've dropped 14 of their last 21, with a stumbling offense deserving much of the blame.

Philadelphia is batting .216 and averaging 2.4 runs in its last 21 games, falling 2 1/2 games behind Atlanta atop the division. The Phillies have been shut out a major league high-tying seven times this season - six times during the current slump - to match their total from all of 2009.

"I never thought about getting shut out that many times," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.

They appeared to be finally shaking their hitting woes after a 10-8 win over Florida on Tuesday, but following a Wednesday rainout they totaled four hits Thursday in a 2-0 defeat.

"When you don't score, you're not going to win the game," Manuel said.

In the early stages of their downturn, the Phillies dropped two of three home games to Boston (35-27), including a 5-0 loss in which they managed one hit against starter Daisuke Matsuzaka and reliever Daniel Bard. Matsuzaka is slated to take the mound Saturday, but in the opener Philadelphia will contend with John Lackey (6-3, 4.72).

The Phillies' only win over the Red Sox last month came at Lackey's expense. The right-hander gave up four runs over five innings of a 5-1 Boston defeat May 21. Despite that outing, Lackey maintains a 12-5 record in interleague play and a 2.77 ERA that's ninth all-time among pitchers with at least five interleague starts.

Lackey pitched effectively Sunday, allowing two runs in seven innings at Baltimore, but wound up without a decision as the Red Sox fell 4-3 in 10 innings.

"I think he just loves competing," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "You're going to get the best out of him when the game is on the line."

Lackey will be opposed by the seemingly ageless Jamie Moyer (6-5, 3.98), who seeks an encore for his second complete game of the season. The 47-year-old left-hander pitched a seven-hitter in Saturday's 6-2 win over San Diego, joining Phil Niekro (121) and Jack Quinn (103) as the only pitchers to win 100 games after turning 40.

Moyer, whose career includes a 23-appearance stint with Boston in 1996, is 0-7 with a 9.07 ERA in nine starts versus the Red Sox since May 8, 2001. Boston slugger David Ortiz is 13 for 36 with five homers and six doubles off Moyer, while normally light-hitting shortstop Marco Scutaro is 14 for 35 with three homers against him.

The Red Sox are trying to avoid their first three-game losing streak since May 15-17, after dropping the final two of a three-game set in Cleveland. After Adrian Beltre's two-out, two-run homer gave Boston the lead in the ninth, Bard - filling in as closer with Jonathan Papelbon on the bereavement list - blew the save as Russell Branyan's two-run single gave the Indians an 8-7 win.

Papelbon is expected to be activated Friday.

The Red Sox are 11-6 all-time at home against the Phillies, including a three-game sweep from June 23-26, 2006, in Philadelphia's last visit.