Phillies Preview: October 2, 2009

Florida Marlins (85-74) at Philadelphia Phillies (92-67)

7:05pm - Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Rick VandenHurk, RHP (2-2, 4.44) v. Joe Blanton, RHP (12-7, 3.95)

Joe Blanton will take the hill in game one, in what will be his final tune up for the postseason. Coming off a tough start, Blanton will look to straighten himself out and prepare for whatever role the Phillies want him in. Most likely, Blanton will be the Phillies' third or fourth starter, so he may not pitch again for over a week. He will be opposed by the youngster, Rick VandenHurk. The Phillies faced VandenHurk the last time these teams met and got to him for some early runs.

The Phillies will want to see Joe Blanton toss a strong game in preparation for the playoffs. Blanton, who looks to be a starter in the post season, will get his final warm up against a Marlins team he knows quite well. Blanton had a strong start against the Fish the last time they met and has held their hitters to a .227 batting average in 147 career plate appearances. Look for Blanton to try to be aggressive tonight and take care of business.

Rick VandenHurk will take the ball for the Marlins and face the Phillies for the second time this month. VandenHurk, the big righty, will look to improve against the Phillies, after allowing a handful of runs his last time out. Current Phillies are hitting .265 in 56 career plate appearances against VandenHurk. The last time out, the Phillies were good at pushing across runs on VandenHurk and will need to support Joe Blanton.

After a hangover loss last night, the Phillies will again field a partial starting team. However, they will try to get back on track behind Blanton and pick up their 93rd win of the season tonight. With the playoffs looming, tonight's game will play large in who the Phillies play and where they will be playing this Wednesday.