(Best E Casino) - Jamie Moyer hopes to continue his mastery of the
Florida Marlins this evening when the
Philadelphia Phillies visit their NL East rivals for the start of a three-game series at Dolphin Stadium.
Moyer is a perfect 9-0 lifetime against the Fish with a 3.03 earned run average in nine starts. He has already beaten them twice this season and was absolutely brilliant against them on June 12, surrendering just two hits over eight scoreless innings.
The 45-year-old left-hander, who is 8-6 with a 3.95 ERA, picked up a win in his final start before the break on July 10 against St. Louis, as he allowed just a run and seven hits in seven innings.
Philadelphia has been one of the better second-half teams in the league the last couple of seasons. They are probably going to have to be again if they want a second straight postseason appearance.
The Phillies, who are now tied atop the NL East with the red-hot New York Mets, were the second best team in the Senior Circuit after the break last season, going 45-29 on their way to their first division title since 1993. They had been 45-30 in the second half in 2006.
In a move to bolster a thin starting rotation on Thursday, the Phillies acquired right-hander Joe Blanton from the Oakland Athletics for three minor league prospects.
Blanton, a first-round pick by the A's in the 2002 draft, has struggled to a 5-12 record with a 4.96 earned run average in 20 starts this season. However, the right-hander was 14-10 with a 3.95 ERA last season while eating up 230 innings for Oakland.
Florida, meanwhile, has surprisingly hung around in the NL East and enters this series just 1 1/2 games back of the Phils and Mets. A big reason for that has been righty Ricky Nolasco, who is 10-4 with a 3.70 ERA.
The Marlins have won Nolasco's last seven starts and are 10-1 in his last 11 starts.
Nolasco received a no-decision on Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, as he allowed two runs and five hits in six innings of his team's 5-3 win. He has surrendered three runs or less in his last seven starts.
The 25-year-old hurler has beaten the Phils twice this season and is 3-2 in his career with a 4.23 ERA in seven games, four of which have been starts.
These teams have split their last 24 matchups.
