After an explosive win over St. Louis on Tuesday, a victory that included a remarkable nine-run inning, the Phillies will try to win their second game in a row with Cliff Lee looking for success on the road vs. the Cardinals. Lee (7-5, 3.12 ERA) has been little short of spectacular at Citizens Bank Park, but has been quite mediocre when it comes to matchups away from home.
In road starts this season, Lee has gone just 1-4 with an ERA of nearly 5.90, so he’ll certainly need to make improvements of those numbers if he wants to boost the Phils to a win this evening. If he doesn’t pitch up to expectations, there’s no telling how close Philadelphia could be in the first place; after last night’s offensive showing, few people still doubt their potential.
For the Cardinals, who haven’t faced a southpaw on the mound since their all-star first baseman Albert Pujols went down with an injury, right-hander Kyle Lohse (7-3, 2.88 ERA) will take the hill. Lohse, a former Phillies pitcher, has been somewhat inconsistent over the years, but seems to be on a roll in 2011 as one of St. Louis’ top arms.