Phillies Return To Work, Open Critical Roadtrip In New York
By Matt Leon
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – With a 48-48 record, the Phillies get back to work after the all-star break on Friday night as they open a nine-game road trip with the first of three in New York against the Mets.
The Phillies sit in third-place in National League East, 6 1/2 games behind the first-place Braves. They are 5 1/2 games off the pace in the wildcard race.
On the mound for the Phillies in this series opener will be right-hander Kyle Kendrick. He is 8-6 this season and he beat the Nationals in his last start on July 11th with seven strong innings. In his career against the Mets, Kendrick is 7-7 with a 3.19 ERA.
New York gives the ball to right-hander Jeremy Hefner. He is 4-6 this season. In his career against the Phillies, he is 2-2 in five appearances but he hasn't fooled many Phils batters. He has an ERA of 11.02 againsth the Phils, allowing 20 earned runs in 16 1/3 innings.
Phillies have played well against the Mets this season, winning six of the nine match-ups.
After this series in New York, the Phillies visit St. Louis for three and Detroit for three.
KYW's Matt Leon spoke with Phillies broadcaster Chris Wheeler to get his thoughts on what the rest of the season could hold for this team.
You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattleonkyw.
