Losing Momentum
Philadelphia, PA – The Philadelphia Phillies discovered standing pat is not the best way to repeat as World Series champions.
After reviving a missing part of their game from last year, the Phillies seek consecutive wins as their three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers continues on Wednesday night.
Oddsmakers from online sports book SBG Global.com have made the Phillies -115 moneyline favorites for Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 73% of more than 620 bets for this game have been placed on the Phillies -115.
While the Phillies (16-14) had plenty of power in 2008, finishing first in the National League and second overall with 214 homers, they also were aggressive on the basepaths with 136 steals, good for fourth in the majors while converting a league-best 84.5 percent of their attempts.
Philadelphia again is among the major league leaders with 42 homers, but entered Tuesday’s game with just 12 stolen bases to rank 27th.
Jayson Werth, though, got the Phillies moving again. He tied a team record with four steals – one more than he had all of 2008 – highlighted by a straight swipe of home in the seventh as Philadelphia won 5-3 on Tuesday.
"I just saw an opportunity, really,” Werth said. "Fortunately it worked out.”
Even slugger Ryan Howard stole a base – just the third of his career – and the Phillies finished with six steals in as many attempts.
"It wasn’t on (catcher Tom) Russell not doing a good job, they were just gauging our pitches,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. “We were aware of (Werth) but he picked our pocket anyway.”
The Phillies may have a tougher time running against Randy Wolf (1-1, 2.95), who has only been stolen on three times in his first seven starts and conceded just eight stolen bases in 190 1-3 innings in 2008.
The left-hander, though, has gone five straight starts without a decision since a victory at Arizona on April 12. Wolf has pitched well in that span, compiling a 2.67 ERA and giving up only two earned runs in his last three starts covering 17 1-3 innings.
The Dodgers’ bullpen cost Wolf a victory against Washington on Thursday, squandering a five-run lead in an 11-9 loss – the first game played after Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50 games following his failed drug test. Wolf limited the Nationals to one run in six innings.
Los Angeles (22-12) has dropped four of five since Ramirez’s ban.
A Phillie from 1999-2006, Wolf failed to register a decision in his only start against them on May 1, 2008, yielding two runs in six innings while striking out nine.
Philadelphia’s Jamie Moyer (3-2, 7.26) has yet to find the form that made him a surprise 16-game winner last year.
The 46-year-old has been reached for at least four runs in five of his six starts, and the left-hander is coming of his worst outing – getting tagged for seven runs and seven hits including three homers in 2 1-3 innings of a 7-5 defeat Thursday to the New York Mets.
"I didn’t like the way I threw tonight,” Moyer said. "I’ll probably go back and look at something from two or three years ago. Something positive.”
Giving up the long ball has been a problem for Moyer, who’s allowed 10 in just 31 innings. In helping the Phillies win the World Series last year, he gave up 20 in 196 1-3 innings.
Moyer is 3-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 11 lifetime starts against the Dodgers, whom he has not faced since 2007. In that outing, he was ripped for 10 runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 10-3 defeat.
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Posted: 5/12/09 1:38AM ET