The Phillies try to climb back into the NL East race as they host a series with the Braves. Derek Lowe meets Roy Halladay in the opener of the three game set. Lowe posted a 3.59 ERA in four season with the Dodgers, and used that to win a $15 million a year contract from the Braves. Some teams were hesitant to sign Derek, and his 4.62 ERA since then would be the reason why. He has, however, posted a better winning percentage with the Braves than with the Dodgers. Halladay’s 2.42 ERA is everything the Phillies hoped for when they traded for the Blue Jays star. The Phillies offense going south, however, has held Roy to a 9-7 record this season. Still, the team has managed to win three game this season with Roy on the mound in which they scored two runs or less.

The Red Sox lead the Rays by 1/2 game as they battle for the AL Wild Card and a shot at the division title. Daisuke Matsuzaka takes on Matt Garza in St. Petersburg. After a rough May, Matsuzaka showed his best control in a while in June, striking out 25 and walking 10 in 25 2/3 innings in June, good for a 2.81 ERA. He’s also taken control of the long ball this year, giving up just three home runs in 59 1/3 innings compared to 10 in 60 innings in 2009. Garza’s moved in the opposite direction. After posting fine ERAs in April and May, Matt finished June with a 6.83 mark. Despite that, he went 4-1 on the month. Despite a high strikeout rate, Matt gave up a high number of hits in June, and more than a third of them went for extra bases. We’ll see if he can get that under control as he starts a new month. He did post quality starts his last two times out.

Enjoy!