The NL East leading Philadelphia Phillies will look to get back in the Win column when they host the Tampa Bay Rays tonight in the start of a 3-game set at Citizens Bank Park. The 85-58 Phillies were embarrassed over their last two games by the inept Miami Marlins, losing both by a combined score of 19-6. Tonight however they get back on track. The 71-72 Rays have lost their last three meetings with the Phillies and are expected to give the start to Cole Sulser for the first leg of which will probably be a bullpen game for Tampa. Sulser is 0-0 with a 4.35 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and he had better be in the zone or Harper and Schwarber will make him pay. Philadelphia is not in the habit of losing three straight and the Phillies’ expected starter, lefty Christopher Sánchez, will make sure of that. Sánchez is 10-9 with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. He was sharp in his last outing against Toronto where he yielded 6 hits and 2 runs over 7 innings, resulting in a 4-2 Philly victory. Philadelphia is an impressive 47-25 at The Vault and are 10-1 in Sánchez’s last 11 home starts against a team with a losing record.
TONIGHT’S PICK: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES