Boston @ Philadelphia preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 29, 2011 ) Boston 1, Philadelphia 2

THE STORY: The Philadelphia Phillies have held the Boston Red Sox to one run in the first two games of this proposed "World Series Preview". On Thursday, Charlie Manuel's club will look to complete the sweep when 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels takes the mound. After posting a 5-0 triumph in the opener, the Phillies scraped to a 2-1 victory Wednesday on the strength of Raul Ibanez's solo homer in the seventh inning. Jon Lester will attempt to deny Philadelphia its 14th win in 18 contests. Boston has dropped six of its last seven after winning 14 of 16.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NESN (Boston), CSN (Philadelphia)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Jon Lester (9-4, 3.66 ERA) vs. Phillies LH Cole Hamels (9-4, 2.49 ERA). Lester will attempt to snap a two-game skid when he takes the hill on Thursday. The 27-year-old Washington native allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings in a 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. Lester will try his luck against the other Keystone State representative. He has fared well in two career meetings with the Phillies, winning the lone decision and permitting only one run in 14 innings. Like Lester, Hamels has also dropped his last two games in pursuit of the elusive 10th win of the season. The southpaw yielded two runs in both outings, but fell victim to a lack of run support. Hamels does boast an impressive 3-0 career mark against the Red Sox, holding Boston's bats to a .197 average. Manuel elected to start Hamels over Kyle Kendrick, who is 0-3 with a gaudy 10.80 ERA in his career versus the Red Sox. Kendrick will start Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

ABOUT THE RED SOX (45-34): David Ortiz received his first start of the season at first base and was 0-for-4 with a strikeout. And depending on one's point of view, he lost a weighty argument with the Phillie Phanatic prior to the game. Adrian Gonzalez was shuffled to right field for only the second time in his career. Gonzalez didn't have a ball come his way until Chase Utley's triple hit the top of the wall in the eighth inning. Gonzalez will likely be back in his usual position at first base on Thursday. The slugger has fared well versus Hamels, going 8-for-22 in his career with two homers. Josh Reddick had two hits Wednesday and scored on John Lackey's RBI double in the fifth inning.

ABOUT THE PHILLIES (51-30): Ibanez ended a couple slumps on Wednesday night. He collected his first RBI in 13 games by plating Shane Victorino with a single in the second inning. The veteran outfielder also led off the seventh by depositing a curveball from Lackey into the seats in right field for his ninth homer of the season - and first in 25 contests. Ibanez, who entered the game with five hits in his last 44 at-bats, is 4-for-9 with a pair of doubles in his career against Lester. Injured Phillies closer Brad Lidge, who has been sidelined with shoulder and elbow discomfort, tossed 35 pitches in the bullpen prior to the game.

FINAL PITCH: Philadelphia native Bernard Hopkins gave the Phillies a 20-minute pre-game speech Wednesday. The former boxing champion quipped that his first experience with baseball came when he was 13 "on Broad Street, chasing somebody with a bat."