The Phillies will look to sweep an abbreviated series with the Rockies tonight at Citizens Bank Park. Joe Blanton takes the hill a night after Cole Hamels shut the Rockies down with 8 innings of one run ball. It was important for Hamels to give most of the bullpen the night off, with Blanton going just five innings in each of his last two starts since coming off the DL.
Actually, Blanton pitched fairly well after the first two batters of his previous start against the Braves. Unfortunately those first two batters hit back to back homers. They were, however, the only two runs Blanton would give up. The righty has a 5.32 ERA in two career starts against the Rockies.
Blanton will be opposed by Jhoulys Chacin, who has been solid over his past several starts. That said, he did allow three runs over six innings against a very weak hitting San Diego squad last time out. Of course, you'd have to call the Phillies pretty weak hitting themselves lately...
The Rockies have lost seven straight in Philadelphia.