Milwaukee @ Philadelphia preview
Citizens Bank Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 4, 2010 ) Milwaukee 4, Philadelphia 5
The Philadelphia Phillies are clicking on all cylinders - and it took one misfire by the Milwaukee Brewers to keep the two-time defending National League champions humming along.
Outfielder Ryan Braun's throw hit Carlos Ruiz as the catcher slid into home, allowing Wilson Valdez to come around to score as well as the Phillies rallied to a 5-4 victory over the Brewers on Saturday.
Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth belted solo homers, Chase Utley added an RBI single and Ruiz had three hits for Philadelphia (78-58), which moved to a season-best 20 games over .500 with its fifth straight win.
With their eight win in nine contests, the three-time defending NL East champion Phillies remained one full game behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves (79-57), who posted a 2-0 triumph over the Florida Marlins on Saturday.
In addition, the Fightin' Phils kept their three-game advantage over the San Francisco Giants (75-61) in the race for the wild card. San Francisco rallied from a four-run deficit to post a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
On Sunday, Philadelphia will vie for its second three-game sweep of Milwaukee this season. The Phillies also won three straight over the Brewers on May 14-16.
Taking the hill for Philadelphia is Kyle Kendrick (9-7, 4.72 ERA), who has struggled in his last three home outings - and the Citizens Bank Park faithful hasn't been shy about letting him know it.
Kendrick got rocked in his last outing against the home folk - and it capped a four-game sweep by the visiting Houston Astros.
The 25-year-old right-hander has also struggled on the road. Case in point, Kendrick's last outing on Tuesday when he allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings, but the Phillies slugged their way to an 8-4 triumph over the Dodgers.
Kendrick will need to be careful with the Brewers' sluggers, however.
Corey Hart belted two solo homers and Prince Fielder and Alcides Escobar also went deep on Saturday for Milwaukee (62-73), which dropped its fifth in a row and ninth in its last 12 games.
The Brewers will counter with Randy Wolf (10-10, 4.76 ERA), who has posted a 1-2 mark with a 5.79 against his former team.
The 34-year-old left-hander has managed to pitch just five innings in his last two outings. On Monday, Wolf permitted three runs and eight hits en route to a no-decision as the Brewers dropped a 5-4 decision to the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds.
Philadelphia recalled right-hander Scott Mathieson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley late Saturday and plan to do the same with Iron Pigs hurlers Vance Worley and Nate Robinson on Sunday.