One of the best interleague series of the season begins Monday night in Philadelphia as the two East leaders in baseball, the Red Sox and Phillies meet in a potential World Series preview.
We'll get to the pitching matchups in a moment, but Boston may be without Manny Ramirez tonight. Red Sox manager Terry Francona is hopeful to have his slugger back, but he hasn't played the past two games.
Ramirez started on Friday night and batted three times before coming out in the middle of the seventh with soreness where his right hamstring meets the knee.
"We played him and ended up taking him out halfway through," said Francona. "It didn't make a lot of sense to [have him start Sunday]. Give him another day and hopefully he feels better [Monday]."
While he didn't start Saturday, Ramirez pinch-hit in the top of the 10th for Jonathan Papelbon and struck out on three pitches. He had made his last 10 starts as a designated hitter to protect the hamstring, but the Red Sox can't use the DH in a National League ballpark.The same hamstring caused him to miss a game in Minnesota earlier in the year, as well as another contest earlier in June. Ramirez is hitting .301 with 15 homers and 49 RBIs in 66 games.
As for Monday's game, Boston starts reclamation project Bartolo Colon against Philly ace Cole Hamels, with the Phils listed as -171 money line betting favorites on WagerWeb.com.|
The Red Sox have won six of their last seven road games after winning two of three over the weekend in Cincinnati. Colon is 4-1 with a 3.41 ERA this season, and beat the Orioles in his last start, allowing a run and five hits in six innings. Colon has faced the Phils four times and is 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA against them.
Hamels is 6-4 with a 3.27 ERA and has won four of his last five decisions. His last start was one of his best yet was a no-decision: He surrendered just two runs and three hits over eight innings against the Marlins, striking out a season-high 13 batters. Hamels, who has only six hits allowed in his last 17 innings, has never faced Boston.
The Red Sox are 6-1 in their last seven games in Philadelphia, averaging more than eight runs per game.
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