Philadelphia @ Los Angeles preview
Dodger Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jul 16, 2012 ) Philadelphia 3, LA Dodgers 2
The Philadelphia Phillies will vie for their fourth straight victory Tuesday when they welcome back Roy Halladay against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has been sidelined since May 27 with a right latissimus dorsi strain - and the Phillies have plummeted in the standings in his absence. Philadelphia has shown signs of improvement as of late - and will attempt to secure its first four-game winning streak since May 23-26.
Halladay's return couldn't come at a worse time for the reeling Dodgers, who fell for the sixth time in seven outings after dropping a 3-2 decision in the series opener on Monday. The losing stretch has sent Los Angeles to two games behind San Francisco in the National League West. After going 5-for-9 in his first two contests following his return from the disabled list, Los Angeles' Matt Kemp went 0-for-4 in the series opener.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, CSN (Philadelphia), KCAL (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Roy Halladay (4-5, 3.98 ERA) vs. undecided
Halladay dropped three of his last four starts prior to heading to the disabled list. The 35-year-old has handcuffed the Dodgers in his career, posting a sizzling 4-1 mark with a 1.93 ERA and 1.15 WHIP.
Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly did not declare Tuesday's starter. Right-hander Chad Billingsley (4-9, 4.30) may get the nod after his second MRI revealed only inflammation in his sore elbow. "We'll make that decision (on Tuesday)," Mattingly said. Should the Dodgers look for a potential callup, Stephen Fife was scratched from his scheduled Monday start for Triple-A Albuquerque. The right-hander is 7-5 with a 4.53 ERA with the Isotopes this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Philadelphia SS Jimmy Rollins, who is from Alameda, Calif., wasn't interested in feeding trade talk to either the Dodgers or San Francisco Giants. After being asked several times, Rollins brushed off the inquiry by saying, "I'm not going to help you write that story."
2. Los Angeles 3B Juan Uribe, who is mired in a 1-for-31 slump, may get another shot in the lineup. Although he is only 4-for-18 versus Halladay, Jerry Hairston Jr. is a paltry 3-for-31 against the standout pitcher.
3. Shane Victorino has rebounded after a miserable stretch. After going 2-for-20, the Phillies OF is 6-for-12 in his last three games.