The Phillies now begin a brutal stretch of schedule that will match them with some of the best teams in the game, mostly on the road, between now and Independence Day. This gauntlet kicks off tonight in Atlanta, where the Braves hope to close the 3.5 game gap between themselves and their guests. Larry Jones Jr. has hit in 15 straight against the Phils, batting .362 over that stretch... which is nearly 60 points lower than his .418 average for the 2008 season. As Chase Utley is to the Phils, Jones has been--albeit with worse defense and a bunch more miles on the tires--to the Braves.
Braves ace Tim Hudson takes the mound tonight; for his career, he is 4-5, 4.02 lifetime facing the Phils. Jamie Moyer seeks his team-best seventh win of the season, but his career record against the Braves isn't encouraging (3-8, 5.42)