Philadelphia @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 1, 2011 ) Philadelphia 4, Colorado 3

THE STORY: The Philadelphia Phillies opened their 10-game road trip with a thud - well, until the ninth inning, that is. John Mayberry Jr. tied Monday's contest with a pinch-hit, two-run homer with two outs in the ninth and Shane Victorino led off the 10th by going deep as the Phillies rallied for a 4-3 triumph over the Colorado Rockies. Philadelphia will vie for its fifth victory in a row and its eighth in nine outings against Colorado when the teams reconvene at Coors Field on Tuesday.

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, CSN (Philadelphia), ROOT (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Kyle Kendrick (5-5, 3.52 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Aaron Cook (2-5, 5.05 ERA)

Kendrick suffered his first loss since June 4 after yielding four runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday. The 26-year-old Texan has split four career decisions against the Rockies, although he was torched for five runs on seven hits in three innings of a 7-1 loss on May 19.

After dropping his first five decisions, Cook has seemingly righted the ship with a pair of victories. The 32-year-old Kentucky native scattered six hits over seven scoreless innings on Wednesday in a 3-1 triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cook has traditionally struggled against the Phillies, posting a 1-6 career mark with a bloated 6.05 ERA. Last year, Cook was touched for five runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings in a 6-0 loss to Philadelphia.

ABOUT THE PHILLIES (69-39): Philadelphia improved to a season-best 30 games over .500 with Monday's victory. Raul Ibanez collected his 25th RBI since July 5 after his double plated Hunter Pence during the seventh inning. The 39-year-old Ibanez has fared well versus Cook, collecting four hits and four RBIs in nine career at-bats against the hurler. Victorino may have belted the decisive blow, but he was thrown out at the plate in the third inning. The Hawaiian has struggled against Cook, recording just one hit in 16 career at-bats. Roy Oswalt (lower back inflammation) fared well in his rehab start on Monday. The veteran hurler allowed two runs in six innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and is expected to rejoin the Phillies on Tuesday. A potential start against the San Francisco Giants this weekend is on tap for Oswalt.

ABOUT THE ROCKIES (51-58): Seth Smith ended the Rockies' home run drought with a two-run shot in the second inning. Smith's homer was his first in 35 games - and the team's first in seven contests. Smith has enjoyed considerable success against Kendrick, going 8-for-11 with three doubles and a triple in his career versus the hurler. Huston Street blew his third save of the season by surrendering Mayberry's blast in the ninth. The Rockies went on to drop their sixth extra-inning contest in seven games this season. Sidelined with a right wrist strain, Carlos Gonzalez was able to take a round of batting practice prior to Monday's game.

FINAL PITCH: "As a bench guy, you normally get one at-bat. Hopefully, you make the most of it and I was able to do that (on Monday)." - Mayberry, on his first pinch-hit homer of the year and third of his career.