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Volstad looks to replicate success vs. Phillies

Sep 9, 2008 - 1:08 PM FLORIDA (72-72) AT PHILADELPHIA (79-65), 7:05pm EDT

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Philadelphia Phillies need to solve Chris Volstad if they hope to close in gap on the first-place New York Mets in the National League East Division.

The Marlins rookie righthander held the Phillies scoreless for six innings when he last faced the club on August 7, leading Florida to a 3-0 win.

The Phillies can't afford many more losses these days as they trail the Mets by 1 1/2 games with 18 games remaining. The club cut a half-game off the deficit on Monday in the series opener, defeating the Marlins, 8-6, while the Mets were idle.

Volstad (4-3, 3.32 ERA), the 16th overall pick in the 2005 draft, has endured consecutive no-decisions despite pitching fairly well. He gave up just one run in 6 1/3 innings in a 5-4 loss to the New York Mets, and yielded three runs and six hits in six innings during a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

The Phillies will send Kyle Kendrick (11-8, 5.06) to the mound, in the hopes that he can quickly erase the memory of his last start. In a September 1 meeting with the Washington Nationals, he lasted just four innings, giving up six runs and eight hits.

In his career against the Marlins, he is 2-1 with a 4.07 ERA over four starts.