MLB Preview

Philadelphia Phillies (57-51) at Milwaukee Brewers (58-51)

Friday, 8:05 pm Eastern

Opening Line: Brewers -148, Total 9 Over (-120)

The Phillies got a big win on Thursday against the Cubs 10-6 and head into Milwaukee having scored a lot of runs recently.  Jason Werth was the big bat on Thursday, driving in four runs. The game on Friday will feature a matchup of two rookie hurlers, with Milwaukee sending Yovani Gallardo (3-1, 2.72) to the mound and Philadelphia countering with Kyle Kendrick (5-1, 4.04). 

Thursday's win gave the Phillies a split of the four games, and kept them four games back of the Mets in the National League East. Because the Met beat the Brewers, the Cubs and Brewers remained tied for first in the NL Central. The Brewers have blown their NL Central lead and now must fight to stay at the top.

"We're still going to approach it the same way we've been doing for the whole season and taking care of our own business," Milwaukee catcher Damian Miller said. "Sometimes it's hard not to, but you've really got to tell yourself it really doesn't matter what the people behind us do. It matters what you do. But it's a lot easier said than done." The Brewers could be imploding at the wrong time.  They had a dugout blowup between catcher Johnny Estrada and manager Ned Yost during Thursday’s loss to the Mets.

The Brewers are -155 favorites with a total of 9.5 Under (-120) at .

The game on Friday could be a pitcher’s duel.  Kyle Kendrick is 5-1 with a 4.04 ERA for the Phillies while Yovani Gallardo is 3-1 with a sparkling 2.72 ERA for the Brewers. Kendrick bounced back from his only loss this season with two solid starts and matched his longest outing by going seven innings against the Pirates his last time out. His 4.04 ERA is good enough for second among Phillies starters, behind Cole Hamels. The Brewers Gallardo was good early against St. Louis in his last start but gave up four runs in the fifth against the Cardinals and his pitch count was at 100 when he left the game.

The Phillies are 5-1 in their last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter. The Phillies are 9-3 in their last 12 overall. The Phillies are 35-17 in their last 52 vs. the National League Central. The Phillies are 7-2 in Kendrick's last 9 starts. The Phillies are 0-5 in the last 5 meetings in Milwaukee between the two teams.

The Brewers are 9-2 in their last 11 vs. a team with a winning record. The Brewers are 38-14 in their last 52 games as a home favorite. The Brewers are 19-7 in their last 26 home games vs. a right-handed starter. The Brewers are 9-4 in their last 13 series openers. The Brewers are 1-4 in their last 5 overall. The Brewers are 0-4 in their last 4 games vs. a right-handed starter.

The Under is 4-1-1 in the Phillies last 6 vs. the National League Central. The Under is 4-1-1 in the Phillies last 6 overall. The Over is 4-1-2 in the Phillies last 7 road games vs. a right-handed starter. The Over is 8-3 in the Phillies last 11 Friday games. The Over is 13-5-3 in the Phillies last 21 games as an underdog. The Over is 22-9-4 in the Phillies last 35 road games. The Over is 26-12-3 in the Phillies last 41 games vs. a right-handed starter.