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Phillies, Rangers hope to shake recent scoring woes

Jun 27, 2008 - 1:38 PM Philadelphia (43-37) at Texas (40-40) 8:05 pm EDT

ARLINGTON (Ticker) -- The Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers will meet in a battle of two of the majors' best offenses on Friday. However, neither team has shown much muscle at the plate lately.

Philadelphia, the National League's second-highest scoring offense, has been a bit lacking against American League competition in the run column. The Phillies have scored just 41 runs in a dozen interleague games this year, including Thursday's 5-0 loss vs. Oakland which dropped the team to 3-9 against the AL.

Brett Myers (3-9, 5.51 ERA) will be looking for all the run support he can get as he has been dreadful on the road this season, going 0-6 with a 7.54 ERA in eight starts away from home.

The righthander, who has won just once since April 17, suffered his third straight loss in Saturday's 6-2 setback against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He surrendering four runs and six hits over 7 2/3 innings in the defeat.

The Rangers, who sport baseball's best offense, may be without a key cog in their lineup for the series opener. Josh Hamilton, the majors top RBI man, was hit in the left hand by a pitch from Houston Astros lefthander Wandy Rodriguez during the first inning of Thursday's 7-2 loss and is day-to-day.

Texas, which hasn't posted more than three runs in any of its last three games, will turn to Kason Gabbard (2-3, 4.96), who is winless at home in 2008. The lefthander won for the first time since April 4, allowing three runs and six hits over 5 1/3 frames in Saturday's 13-3 win at Washington.