The Rockies got through yet another must win game and series yesterday with their hopes still intact. Now they go on to Philadelphia with a chance to actually make an impact on things and move up in the pack. Three wins in Philadelphia against one of the better home teams in the league could be a tall order. Yet, Arizona accomplished it, sweeping the Phils at Citizens Bank Park in May. In fact, the D-backs' 24-9 record against the NL East is precisely how they have created the separation between themselves and the rest of the West, given that they have a losing record within our division.
For a playoff contender, the Phils have to rival the Rockies with one of the weakest rotations out there, given who they will have starting against us. Loshe, Eaton, Kendrick and Durbin doesn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of an opponent. The best of the bunch is probably rookie Kyle Kendrick, who started the season in AA and might be out of gas. What's more, their bullpen has been ravaged by injuries, so scoring runs shouldn't be a problem this series. More on the Phillies' woeful pitching could be found here.
U-ball's been moved up in the rotation so that he could get more starts this season, a move that's similar to the one the Padres made with Jake Peavy that caused him to miss the Rockies series. Of course, the Rockies had an off day that the Padres did not, and somehow I'm thinking that this decision will wind up better for us tonight.