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Phillies hope to have Rollins back vs. Mets

Apr 10, 2008 - 1:17 PM Philadelphia (4-5) at NY Mets (3-4) 7:10 pm EDT

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) - Jimmy Rollins' absence was evident on Wednesday.

The Philadelphia Phillies hope to have the reigning National League MVP back in the lineup on Thursday when try to take the rubber match of a three-game series with the New York Mets.

Rollins sat out Wednesday's 8-2 loss with a left ankle injury and his replacement Eric Bruntlett was partly responsible for the Phillies' season-high four errors.

Bruntlett committed a pair of errors at shortstop that contributed to a six-run third inning. The loss snapped Philadelphia's nine-game winning streak over the Mets.

"We had a rough inning," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "That's about as ugly as it can get. We fell apart."

Adam Eaton, who is 5-0 with a 2.68 ERA in seven starts vs. New York, will look to help the Phillies bounce back.

Eaton (0-0, 3.52), who posted an astronomical 6.29 ERA last season, allowed three runs and six hits in 7 2/3 innings of a 4-3 loss to Cincinnati on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Mets aim to win two straight over the Phillies here for the first time since August 26-28.

To do so, they will need a better outing from John Maine (0-1, 9.00), who was blasted for four runs and eight hits in four innings of a 11-5 loss to Atlanta on Saturday.

Maine hopes to continue his dominance of the Phillies as the 26-year-old righthander went 4-0 with a 2.13 ERA in six starts against the club last season.