Phillies Preview: August 9, 2009

Florida Marlins (57-53) at Philadelphia Phillies (61-47)

1:35pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Josh Johnson, RHP (10-2, 2.98) v. Jamie Moyer, LHP (10-8, 5.55)

The finale of a three game series with the Marlins will feature a matchup of a young flame thrower and an aging, crafty veteran. With the Phillies dropping the first two games, this will be a pivitol game to win, as they do not want to be swept at home by their division rivals. However, this will be a true test for the Phillies' offense against one of the best arms in the game.

Moyer has a storied career against the Fish, in which he has gone 13-2 with a 2.83 ERA. This year has been no different as Moyer has gone 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA against them. The Phillies will look to Moyer to steady their starting rotation in what could conceivably be Moyer's final start this season. Despite this, he will focus at the task at hand of shutting down the Marlins this afternoon. Current Marlins batters are hitting .246 against Moyer in 250 career plate appearances.

Josh Johnson leads a current crop of seemingly endless young arms to come from Florida. This year, he has been downright unstoppable with a 10-2 record and 2.98 ERA. Johnson is lifetime 3-1 against the Phillies with a 3.66 ERA. This season, Johnson held the Phillies scoreless over seven innings in a 7-3 loss. Current Phillies are hitting .260 in 115 career plate appearances against the tall righty.

With the lead in the NL East dwindling, the Phillies need a strong performance at home before going on the road to play two tough teams. A win for the Phillies would mean a lead of six games in the division and an even record on their latest homestand. More importantly, they need to be able to beat the Marlins, a team that they will face several more times down the stretch run of the season, including the final series at home.