Philadelphia @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( May 9, 2013 ) Philadelphia 1, Arizona 2

The loss of veteran pitcher Roy Halladay to a shoulder injury will be felt Friday when the Philadelphia Phillies visit the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second game of their four-game series. Halladay, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, would have been the scheduled starter for this game, but instead is preparing to undergo surgery Wednesday in Los Angeles. In his place, the Phillies will give the ball to rookie right-hander Tyler Cloyd, who has six major-league starts under his belt, all occurring at the end of last season.

Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins continues to struggle this month. He saw nine pitches while going 0-for-4 in his leadoff role in Thursday’s 2-1 loss to drop to 5-for-28 in May. Equally concerning is his home run totals through 35 games. He has one after hitting 23 in 156 games last season. Chase Utley has also cooled off in the No. 2 spot and Michael Young has just four RBIs in his last 22 games. Arizona catcher Miguel Montero continues to meander through the worst start of his eight-year career. His average dropped to .198 after going hitless in two at-bats on Thursday.

TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, Fox Sports Arizona

PITCHING MATCHUPS: Phillies RH Tyler Cloyd (2012: 2-2, 4.91 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Ian Kennedy (1-3, 5.19).

Cloyd played most of last season for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he was named the Most Valuable Pitcher in the International League and started the Triple-A All Star game. He made his major-league debut last August 29 against the New York Mets. None of his six major-league starts have come against the Diamondbacks. Cloyd made his last appearance for Lehigh Valley on May 3, allowing one run and four hits in eight innings while matching his career high with 10 strikeouts.

Kennedy hasn’t won since Opening Day and hasn’t been consistent in his last 40 starts. Since finishing 21-4 with a 2.88 ERA in 2011, he’s gone 16-15 with a 4.22 ERA since. His inability to pinpoint his fastball seems to be the biggest issue. In his last five starts covering 30 1/3 innings, he has walked 15 batters. "I’m falling behind guys," he said after his latest start Sunday, when he allowed five runs on five hits and walked three in 5 2/3 innings in a 5-1 loss against the San Diego Padres. “My location has been off.” Kennedy is 2-1 with a 2.42 ERA in four career starts against the Phillies

WALK-OFFS

1. Phillies 1B Ryan Howard is 0-for-9 in his career against Kennedy with three strikeouts.

2. Kennedy is 20-23 before the All Star break in his career and 27-10 afterward.

3. The Phillies' last 13 home runs have been solo shots.

PREDICTION: Phillies 5, Diamondbacks 4