Phillies Welcome Carlos Ruiz And The Mariners To Town

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Phillies will play their first interleague game of the season tonight as they welcome the Seattle Mariners to Citizens Bank Park. This will be the opener of a brief two-game series which wraps up Wednesday afternoon.

Tonight also marks the return of Carlos Ruiz to Citizens Bank Park.

The longtime Phillies catcher is now a member of the Mariners. He spent parts of eleven seasons with the Phillies. He was a key member of the team that won the 2008 World Series and really was critical to all the success the Phillies had during that run of five straight National League East titles. Ruiz is just 3 for 26 (.115) at the plate this year for Seattle.

RHP Jerad Eickhoff will be on the mound for the Phillies tonight. He is 0-3 with an ERA of 4.00. He has lost his last two starts, allowing nine earned runs in 11 1/3 innings (7.15 ERA) in the process.

LHP Ariel Miranda will throw for Seattle. He is 3-2 with an ERA of 3.55. He beat the Angels in his last start, allowing two runs in seven innings of work.

The Phillies are 13-17 on the season. Last time out, on Sunday, they snapped a five-game losing streak with a 6-5, ten-inning win over Washington.

Seattle is 15-17 on the season. The Mariners have won four of their last five.

KYW's Matt Leon spoke with Kevin Cooney of the Bucks County Courier Times about the Phillies and the return of Ruiz.