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D-Backs shoot for rare home sweep of Phillies

Apr 27, 2011 - 2:37 PM (Sports Network) - It's been more than 10 years since the Arizona Diamondbacks swept the Philadelphia Phillies in the desert and they hope to break out the brooms this afternoon in the finale of a three-game series at Chase Field.

Arizona's previous sweep of Philadelphia at home was April 4-6, 2000, when Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling ruled the mound for the Diamondbacks. The last sweep overall for the D'Backs in this series occurred May 28-30, 2007 at Citizens Bank Park.

One night after Ian Kennedy mowed the Phillies down in a 4-0 series-opening win on Monday, Daniel Hudson posted his first victory of the season last night with six innings of three-run ball and six K's in a 7-5 triumph. Hudson did allow 10 hits, but issued no walks.

"I thought I threw a lot of good pitches tonight, especially in the first inning," Hudson was quoted as saying on the team's site. "They found a couple of holes. It's probably the best stuff I have had all year."

Hudson helped himself out with a two-run double in the second inning off of Phillies starter Roy Oswalt, while Ryan Roberts homered for Arizona, which has won two in a row on the heels of a four-game slide and is unbeaten so far on a 10-game homestand. The D'Backs will also host the Cubs and Rockies.

If Arizona has any intentions of sweeping the Phils out of Chase Field, Joe Saunders must bring his A-game. Saunders will take the mound for the D'Backs today and is 0-2 in four starts. He was shelled for five runs and 12 hits through 6 2/3 innings on April 16 versus the Giants, then last toed the rubber in Friday's 4-1 setback at the Mets.

Saunders held New York to one run and two hits over six innings in the no- decision at Citi Field and lowered his ERA from 6.32 to 4.98. The lefty will make his third career starts against Philadelphia, going 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in the first two starts.

Philadelphia hasn't lost three in a row this season and will try to keep that from happening with Cole Hamels set to take the hill Wednesday afternoon. Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP, is coming off a stellar performance at San Diego last Friday, when he fired eight shutout innings and allowed four hits to improve to 2-1 in four starts.

The lanky lefty tied a season-high with eight strikeouts and yielded a season- worst three walks, while trimming his earned run average from 4.32 to 2.92. Hamels has made five career starts against Arizona, going 2-1 with a 3.69 ERA.

So far Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt have been shut down by the D'Backs, as Oswalt was last in action Tuesday night. He pitched only three innings and surrendered five runs and six hits, suffering his first loss of the season (3-1). Oswalt has been bothered by back issues lately, but catcher Brian Schneider didn't think that was the case with the right-hander.

"He gave me no indications of it," Schneider told the team's site. "That's something he's going to have to answer. Prior to the game, talking to him, his bullpen was great, so that's nothing I can answer for you."

Ben Francisco went deep and Ryan Howard contributed three hits and an RBI for the Phillies, who have lost two straight since a five-game winning streak. The Phils will return home for a nine-game residency versus the NL East-rival Mets, Nationals and Braves after today's game.

Philadelphia took four of six matchups from the Diamondbacks last year.