The Philadelphia Phillies (-155) and Toronto Blue Jays (+135) are set for the second game of their weekend interleague series Saturday afternoon at the Rogers Centre.
Philadelphia came away with a 7-6 win in the series opener and spoiled Canada Day for a sold-out crowd. “We stayed after them,” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. “We got some breaks there at the end and capitalized on it. It was a pretty good game.”
The Phillies are now 20-17 on the road this season, but have won just eight of their last 20 games away from Citizens Bank Park. That simply hasn’t been the case over the last five years, as the club leads all National League teams with 197 road wins in that span.
Right-handed starter Roy Halladay (10-3, 2.40 ERA) will be making his first start against his former team at the Rogers Centre since being traded away in December 2009. Philadelphia’s ace has won five straight decisions and the team has won his last eight starts overall.
“I feel like it’s any other start,” Halladay commented. “It’s been long enough for me where that’s not really something that’s in the forefront.”
Halladay has tallied a solid 4-2 mark and 2.35 ERA in seven road outings, issuing just 10 walks and striking out 55 batters in 53 2/3 innings.
Bettors will be interested in knowing that the Phillies are 9-1 in his last 10 starts as a road favorite.
Toronto’s daytime numbers continue to be a problem, entering Saturday’s contest with a 10-22 mark under the sun. The Blue Jays have lost four of five overall and have fallen three games under .500 on the season.
The Blue Jays have also lost five of their last six games against the Phillies, including four of five at the Rogers Centre. The team is also 7-9 versus NL opponents this year and 21-31 over the last three years.
Reliever-turned-starter Carlos Villanueva (5-1, 3.15 ERA) is enjoying a fantastic season and is coming off a 6-3 road win over the Cardinals last time out. The right-hander allowed just two runs and five hits in six frames in that contest.
Villanueva has made nine home appearances (two starts) during the 2011 campaign, posting a 1-0 record and 4.13 ERA, as opponents are hitting .267 against him.
The 27-year-old has yet to record a decision in 11 career appearances against the Phillies, allowing just two earned runs and eight hits over 14 1/3 innings. He has been very successful against many members in their lineup, including holding second baseman Chase Utley hitless in seven at-bats.
Despite the strong numbers by the scheduled starters, total bettors may find the over playable, considering it has cashed in six of Villanueva’s last seven starts.
Home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez has led hosting teams to a 9-7 record in his assignments, while the ‘over’ is 8-7-1.
Weather forecasts suggest highs in the low-80s in the Toronto area with a 40 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms. It’s likely the roof will remain closed with rain in the area.
Odds represented in this article are representative of BetDsi.com at the time of writing.
