Florida @ Philadelphia preview
Citizens Bank Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 6, 2010 ) Florida 7, Philadelphia 1
Sometimes trade deadline deals fail to yield their intended result. The Philadelphia Phillies have not had that problem.
Roy Oswalt will be looking to continue an impressive run with his new team when he takes the mound in the second game of a doubleheader on Monday.
Acquired from the Houston Astros before the July 31 deadline, Oswalt was brought in to provide Philadelphia with another ace at the top of their rotation, combining with Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay to form a potentially dominant trio for the postseason. So far he has delivered on that plan, posting a 4-1 record with a 1.89 ERA in seven starts since joining the Phillies.
Not coincidentally, Philadelphia has emerged as a legitimate playoff contender over the last seven weeks. The Phillies have grabbed the lead in the National League wild card race and pulled up right behind the Atlanta Braves in an effort to secure their fourth straight NL East crown.
A seasoned postseason performer with World Series experience from his days with the Astros, Oswalt is also under contract for the 2011 season along with Halladay and Hamels.
If history is any indication, Oswalt is about to do his best work. The veteran right-hander owns a 27-9 career record with a 2.69 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in September.
Oswalt was a little wild in his last start - issuing six walks - but managed to keep the Los Angeles Dodgers off the board by allowing just one hit while striking out six in 6 1/3 innings to earn a win.
He faced the Marlins in his second start with the Phillies back on Aug. 5, allowing two runs and three hits in 6 1/3 innings. He did not factor in the decision. For his career, Oswalt owns a 5-4 record with a 3.66 ERA in 13 starts against Florida.
The Marlins will counter with right-hander Anibal Sanchez in the nightcap. The 26-year-old has put together a nice run of his own lately, going 4-2 with a 2.21 ERA and a .216 batting average against in nine starts since the All-Star break. He has punched out nearly a batter per inning during that span, setting down 55 in 57 frames.
But his worst start since the break came against Philadelphia on Aug. 4, when he was knocked around for four runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings to suffer the loss. The Phillies have always been a tough match for the Venezuela native, who owns a 3-6 record with a 5.20 record in 10 starts against the division rivals.