Final
Rockies-Phillies Preview
Jul 25, 2010 - 1:57 AMVideo
Colorado (51-45) at Philadelphia (50-46), 1:35 p.m. EDT
With at least 11 hits in three straight games, the Philadelphia Phillies appear to have fought through their recent offensive funk.
Expected to make his first major league start in over three months, J.A. Happ will try to benefit from that resurgence Sunday against the struggling Colorado Rockies.
The Phillies (51-46) are batting .321 and averaging six runs during a three-game win streak that includes Saturday's 10-2 rout of the Rockies (51-46). That streak follows a 13-game stretch where Philadelphia batted .215 and averaged 3.7 runs.
Jimmy Rollins had three hits and drove in three runs in the second of a four-game series, and Raul Ibanez continued to perform well while batting third. The outfielder homered Saturday and is batting .353 with 13 runs scored and nine RBIs in 12 games in that spot.
"When I look at our lineup, that's where I like him right now," manager Charlie Manuel told the team's website.
Placido Polanco is also 12 for 36 (.333) since returning from the disabled list and will try to help Happ (1-0, 0.00 ERA) in his first start since April 15.
The left-hander was placed on the disabled list with strained left forearm one week after that outing and didn't begin rehabbing until June 8. He was sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on July 6 and was 0-1 with a 5.97 ERA in four starts there, throwing three scoreless innings Tuesday in Indianapolis.
Happ is replacing 267-game winner Jamie Moyer in the rotation. The 47-year-old Moyer was put on the DL on Saturday because of an ailing left elbow.
Happ went 12-4 with a 2.93 ERA in 2009, leading all rookies in winning percentage and ERA. One of those wins was a four-hit shutout against the Rockies at home Aug. 5.
He also pitched twice in the Phillies' division series win over Colorado, including a three-inning start in Game 3 at Coors Field.
This time, he'll face a Rockies team that's dropped a season-high four in a row and is 2-7 on its 11-game road trip. Since sweeping the 2007 NLDS, Colorado is 4-15 against the Phillies and 2-8 at Citizens Bank Park, including last year's postseason.
After recording at least 11 hits in each of their first nine games this month, the Rockies are batting .204 over their last 10 while their starters have a 5.67 ERA.
"We're not playing worth a darn right now," manager Jim Tracy said, "but there's two months to go and we know how to fix it."
Jeff Francis (3-3, 4.63) and his teammates, however, bucked both trends Tuesday. The left-hander, who returned from shoulder surgery May 16, gave up three hits over seven innings during a 10-0 rout in Florida for his first win in six starts.
"Far and away his best performance of the year, which was great to see," Tracy said. "And I really believe the reason it happened was because he pounded the strike zone with his fastball."
Francis is 1-1 with a 7.59 ERA in four starts against the Phillies but did beat them on the road in the 2007 NLDS opener.
Colorado hasn't lost five straight since Aug. 26-30.
- Phillies 4, Rockies 3 - FINAL
COLORADO ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
D Fowler cf 5 0 1 0 0 2 0 .221
J Herrera 2b 4 0 1 0 1 0 0 .297
C Gonzalez lf 5 0 1 0 0 3 3 .303
M Mora 1b 2 1 1 0 2 0 0 .256
R Spilborghs rf 4 2 2 2 0 2 5 .273
R Betancourt p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -
vb-J
Jul 25 6:35 PM - NL
AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
WILD PITCH BY RAFAEL BETANCOURT ALLOWED JIMMY ROLLINS TO
SCORE.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, R HOWARD ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: COLORADO 3
PHILADELPHIA 4 BOTTOM,7TH
DUE UP FOR PHILADELPHIA: J WERTH (.287, 2-FOR-3)
Rockies 3, Phillies 4 Bot 7, 0 OutsJul 25 5:55 PM - NL
AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JIMMY ROLLINS SCORED WILSON VALDEZ
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J ROLLINS ON FIRST, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: COLORADO 3
PHILADELPHIA 3 BOTTOM,7TH
DUE UP FOR PHILADELPHIA: S VICTORINO (.248, 0-FOR-3)
Rockies 3, Phillies 3 Bot 7, 0 OutsJul 25 5:43 PM - NL
AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY RYAN SPILBORGHS (9) TO LEFT CENTER WITH
0 OUT IN THE 4TH OFF J.A. HAPP SCORED MELVIN MORA.
CURRENT SCORE: COLORADO 3, PHILADELPHIA 2
DUE UP FOR COLORADO: I STEWART (.261, 1-FOR-1)
Rockies 3, Phillies 2 Top 4, 0 OutsJul 25 2:32 PM - NL
AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY BEN FRANCISCO (3) TO LEFT WITH 1 OUT IN
THE 2ND OFF JEFF FRANCIS SCORED JAYSON WERTH.
CURRENT SCORE: COLORADO 1, PHILADELPHIA 2
DUE UP FOR PHILADELPHIA: C RANSOM (.192, 1 HR, 3 RBI)
Rockies 1, Phillies 2 Bot 2, 0 OutsJul 25 2:11 PM - NL
AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY CLINT BARMES SCORED RYAN SPILBORGHS
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, M OLIVO ON FIRST, I STEWART ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: COLORADO 1
PHILADELPHIA 0 TOP,2ND
DUE UP FOR COLORADO: J FRANCIS (.000, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
Rockies 1, Phillies 0 Top 2, 0 OutsJul 25 2:01 PM
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