Miami @ Philadelphia preview
Citizens Bank Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 10, 2012 ) Miami 1, Philadelphia 3
Like the rest of the Philadelphia Phillies, Roy Halladay is beginning to look like his old self. The Phillies hope the two-time Cy Young Award winner can help them continue their surge against the visiting Florida Marlins on Tuesday as they try to pull back to .500 for the first time since June 4 and make up more ground in the tightening National League wild card standings.
After opening the three-game series with a 3-1 win Monday, Philadelphia has won five straight and nine of 11 to pull within five games of St. Louis for the second wild card. The Marlins are the only team to beat Halladay since the end of July as he took the loss Aug. 15 in Miami after allowing three runs over seven innings.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Florida, CS Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Nathan Eovaldi (3-5, 4.85 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Roy Halladay (9-7, 3.87)
Eovaldi has lost his last three starts, most recently allowing two runs over five innings in a loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday. He is 3-5 with a 4.85 ERA in eight starts since being acquired in the trade that sent Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers. Eovaldi is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts against the Phillies.
Halladay has won three straight decisions and five of six to get within one win of reaching double digits for the eighth straight season. He held Cincinnati to one run over 7 1/3 innings Wednesday to earn his 197th career win. Halladay is 5-4 with a 2.52 ERA in 12 starts against the Marlins, including a 1-1 mark this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Phillies have won 19 of their last 27 games at Citizens Bank Park.
2. In his last 24 games against the Phillies, Marlins SS Jose Reyes is hitting .350 (35-for-100). He is 13-for-35 (.371) with five extra-base hits against Halladay.
3. Phillies LHP Antonio Bastardo has struck out 16 of the last 26 batters he has faced in nine consecutive scoreless appearances.