Colorado @ Philadelphia preview
Citizens Bank Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 25, 2010 ) Colorado 3, Philadelphia 4
Having seen over the past week how quickly momentum can shift, the Colorado Rockies are eager for the pendulum to swing back in their direction.
The Philadelphia Phillies, meanwhile, want to stay the course and finish off a four-game sweep of the Rockies on Monday at Citizens Bank Park.
The Rockies have lost five straight and are 2-8 on their road trip to start the second half, a drastic turnaround from their 8-2 homestand going into the All-Star break. After clawing within two games of San Diego in the NL West before the break, they've slipped to fourth place and are 7 1/2 behind the Padres.
The Phillies are in the midst of a wild swing of their own. They opened the second half by losing six of seven on the road but have won four straight to get within five games of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
Philadelphia's offense has come to life since Greg Gross replaced Milt Thompson as the team's hitting coach. The Phillies have scored 20 runs in the first three games of the series, and it has started at the top of the order with shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who is 7-for-13 with four RBIs and four runs scored in the series.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Colorado has scored a total of nine runs during its five-game skid, with missed opportunities the culprit in Sunday's 4-3 loss. The Rockies stranded 12 runners, leaving the bases loaded in both the seventh and ninth innings.
Philadelphia's pitching staff played a big role in the Rockies' struggles this weekend, and the Phillies hope 29-year-old right-hander Joe Blanton can continue that trend.
Blanton (3-6, 6.03 ERA) is looking for his first win since June 24, a span of five starts during which he is 0-1 with a 5.13 ERA. Blanton has posted three quality starts during that stretch, including one Wednesday at St. Louis, where he allowed five runs - three earned - over seven innings in a 5-1 loss.
Blanton has never faced the Rockies, but Melvin Mora is familiar with him from their days in the American League. Mora is 5-for-14 with two homers against Blanton.
The Rockies send out 27-year-old right-hander Jason Hammel, who has struggled on the road. He is 1-4 with a 5.79 ERA in seven starts away from Coors Field.
Hammel (7-5, 4.23 ERA) has lost his first two starts since the All-Star break after winning five consecutive decisions. He allowed five runs over seven innings in Wednesday's 5-2 loss at Florida.
Hammel won his only previous start against the Phillies, holding them to three runs over 6 2/3 innings in an 8-3 victory last August. He also faced Philadelphia in relief once last season, allowing two runs in 2 2/3 innings, including a homer by Raul Ibanez, who is 4-for-8 against him. Ibanez has gone 5-for-10 with five RBIs in the series.