Phillies vs. Braves Preview
ATLANTA, GA (AP) – Roy Halladay and Tim Hudson are two of baseball’s most successful active pitchers, though they’ve only opposed each other twice.
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Given Halladay’s recent mastery of the Atlanta Braves and Hudson’s similar success against the Philadelphia Phillies, runs may be hard to come by Sunday when they square off to finish a three-game set at Turner Field.
Halladay’s 174 wins are second among active pitchers behind Tim Wakefield (193), and Hudson is tied with Livan Hernandez for third with 169.
According to MLB odds and oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL.com have made the Phillies -115 money line favorites for Sunday’s game against the Braves. Current Public Betting Information shows that 84% of more than 2,959 bets for this game have been placed on the Phillies -115.
Hudson (4-3, 3.09 ERA) and Halladay (5-2, 2.05 ERA) have split their two previous matchups, which came nearly 10 years apart. Hudson beat Halladay on April 25, 2000, helping Oakland to an 11-2 win over Toronto. Halladay pitched a five-hitter April 21, 2010, to give Philadelphia a 2-0 win over Atlanta.
Halladay is 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA and two complete games in four starts against the Braves (22-19), all since the start of 2009 but none this season.
Since that last matchup with Halladay, Hudson is 3-0 with a 3.48 ERA in three starts against the Phillies (25-13). He beat Philadelphia on April 8, allowing two earned runs in 7 2-3 innings.
“I’m proud of it,” Hudson said of that performance.
He had to be more proud of his one-hitter against Milwaukee on May 4, but Hudson followed it with a rough outing Tuesday as he allowed seven runs – three earned – in five innings of a 7-6 loss to Washington. It marked the first time in 12 starts Hudson did not pitch into the sixth inning, and he served up two homers after allowing one through his first seven outings of 2011.
Halladay has yielded two runs or fewer in four straight starts but was a tough-luck loser Tuesday, allowing one run in eight innings of a 2-1 defeat to Florida. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner had won his previous 13 starts against NL East opponents.
The Braves and Phillies have split the first eight meetings this season after Atlanta’s 5-3 victory Saturday.
Martin Prado continued his surge, homering and driving in three runs in his fifth straight multihit game. During that span, he’s 11 for 23 (.478) with three home runs and eight RBIs with only one strikeout.
“I think we know who the player of the week is going to be this week,” Chipper Jones said. “When he gets it going right, roll with it.”
However, while Jones is 5 for 10 with two homers against Halladay, Prado is 1 for 13.
Prado has helped stabilize an Atlanta offense which has been missing Jason Heyward the last four games due to inflammation in his right shoulder. Heyward, leading the team with seven home runs, said he doesn’t plan to rush back into the lineup and is not expected to start Sunday.
The Phillies have been dealing with recent injuries of their own and had another setback Saturday. Shane Victorino left in the eighth inning with a sore right hamstring and had a 15-game hitting streak snapped. He will not play Sunday but doesn’t expect to end up on the disabled list.
“It’s sore, but I don’t think it’s that bad,” Victorino said.
Philadelphia is already playing without Chase Utley, Brad Lidge and Roy Oswalt.
“We’ve got guys falling like flies,” manager Charlie Manuel said.
Ryan Howard, who hit a towering home run Friday in Philadelphia’s 5-4 victory over Atlanta, has hit six home runs off Hudson – the most of any active player.
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