Gameday: Pirates (38-33) vs. Phillies (34-40)
TIME: 7:05, Citizens Bank Park
TV: CSN
Weather: 71, partly cloudy
Media: Twitter and Facebook
Chase Utley news! He is in Philadelphia today and will hang with the team until tomorrow, when he plays with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He’ll then return to the Phillies, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. No word yet if he will play with the Phillies on Wednesday, Thursday, or to start their upcoming road trip to Miami.
Brian Schneider hits the DL with an ankle sprain, Erik Kratz returns to the team, being recalled from Lehigh Valley.
Other than that, the Phillies pretty much need to win 3 of 4 here, or even all four against the Pirates, which is not an easy feat. They’re five games over-.500 and are doing well in a diluted NL Central. However, they have a guy that I would pretty much sell the house for in Andrew McCutchen. Can’t feel too bad about the Pirates – it’s good to see them succeeding and hopefully they sustain that. Just not this week against the Phillies.
Perhaps the imminent return of Chase Utley will re-energize the team. But I feel like we’ve tried that before.
Lineup: Rollins SS, Pierre LF, Pence RF, Ruiz C, Victorino CF, Polanco 3B, Wigginton 1B, Fontenot 2B, Blanton P
Woodchuck Summer Cider is the perfect refreshment on a warm summer day. Exhibiting a slight tartness, it begins with a full, robust flavor followed by a rich taste reminiscent of New England blueberries. Summer Cider is an excellent accompaniment to cheese, fruit, chocolate and cheesecake. Sign me up for all of that. We can drown our sorrows in a few of these and some rich food. -Pat Gallen
GO PHILLIES!
