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Phils return home to face Rockies

May 18, 2011 - 2:21 PM (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Phillies are probably glad to be back home after their unsuccessful road trip ended with a season-high four straight losses. If the weather holds up tonight, the Phillies will entertain the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a two-game series at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies went 3-5 on a recent road trip and were swept by the St. Louis Cardinals in a two-game set from Busch Stadium. Starters Joe Blanton, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee all suffered defeats before Roy Oswalt threw five innings of one-run ball for a no-decision in last night's 2-1 loss that was pinned on relief pitcher Danys Baez. Oswalt was making his first start since coming off of the disabled list with a balky back.

Baez loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning and got Matt Holliday to ground into a fielder's choice for the first out, as Ryan Theriot was forced out at home. The bags were still full when J.C. Romero came on for the Phils and promptly gave up a game-winning single to Lance Berkman.

"It is frustrating," Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco said on the club's website. "Every time you lose it's frustrating. But what can you do about it? You keep battling and keep fighting."

Philadelphia's lead atop the National League East standings is down to just a half-game ahead of Florida, with Atlanta only 1 1/2 games off the pace. The Phils' offense has been stagnant lately, scoring just seven runs in the current four-game slide. Philadelphia will begin a nine-game homestand Wednesday versus the Rockies, Rangers and Reds, and is 13-7 as the host.

The Phillies hope Cole Hamels can break a two-start winless drought and pitch them back into the win column when he toes the rubber tonight. The lefty was 4-1 in five starts -- all Philadelphia wins -- before going 0-1 in his previous two starts.

Hamels did not record a decision in Friday's 5-4 win at Atlanta and allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings. He struck out seven batters and has fanned that many six times already this season. The 2008 World Series MVP is 4-2 with a 3.19 ERA in eight starts and will face Colorado for only the second time in the regular season.

Hamels has lost to the Rockies twice in the postseason (2007, 2009) and faced them in the regular season on April 10, 2009, when he was ripped for seven runs and 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings of a 10-3 setback.

Colorado also leads the NL West Division by a half-game over the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants, and will hit the road for five games tonight against the Phillies and Brewers.

The Rockies have won three of five games and swept a two-game set from the Giants by recording a 5-3 win in Tuesday's series finale at Coors Field. They scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and Carlos Gonzalez's two- run single highlighted the frame for Colorado, which got a home run from Troy Tulowitzki and an RBI double out of Dexter Fowler.

"It was a good pitch he threw, down and in the hole," said Gonzalez about his hit. "I was just trying to get some good wood on it and get it into play. I wanted to get that go-ahead run in."

Ubaldo Jimenez gave up three runs on eight hits with a walk and seven strikeouts over seven innings in the no-decision, and still remains winless on the season (0-3). Matt Belisle picked up the victory with a scoreless inning of relief, while Huston Street recorded his 14th save in the ninth.

Jorge De La Rosa draws the assignment tonight for the Rockies and has taken over the ace's role with Jimenez struggling. De La Rosa is 5-1 with a 3.70 earned run average in eight starts and won his last performance despite a shaky outing. In a 12-7 victory over San Diego on Friday, De La Rosa was reached for five runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.

The Mexican lefty, who has allowed at least three runs in each of his previous three starts, is still searching for his first career victory against Philadelphia, going 0-3 with a 9.78 ERA in six games (4 starts).

Philadelphia won six of seven meetings with Colorado a year ago, including a 4-0 mark at Citizens Bank Park. The Rockies have dropped six in a row on the road in this series.