Kyle Kendrick, Phillies Top Offensive Lineup Take on Atlanta Braves to Open Final Homestand

We have reached the end: this is the last Phillies homestand of the 2012 season.  The Atlanta Braves open the homestand tonight for the first of a three-game series.  Being Atlanta's last visit to Citizens Bank Park and with the impending retirement of Chipper Jones, he will be honored by the Phillies before tonight's game.  Kyle Kendrick takes on Braves starter Tommy Hanson.

Kendrick has been a primary reason for the Phillies second-half surge and he hopes to continue his magic tonight.  Kendrick last pitched on Saturdy night against the Astros, going five innings and allowing four earned runs.  However, the pitching line is hardly indicative of Kendrick's performance; sloppy defensive play led to two of those runs and caused Kendrick to pitch more than he needed to.  All in all for the season Kendrick is now 9-11 with a 3.95 ERA.  He hopes to become a double-digit winner for the fourth time in his career.

Hanson has been solid for the Atlanta Braves.  He takes the mound tonight 12-8 with a 4.33 ERA.  Hanson is coming off a five inning, two-earned run performance against the Washington Nationals.  A right-handed starter, the Phillies will put their best offense forward against Hanson tonight.

One unual sight tonight: the Atlanta Braves are starting Martin Prado at shortstop.  This marks just Prado's 11th career start at shorstop.  The Braves have been plagued by injuries at the position.  Both Andrelton Simmons and Paul Janish have been out with injuries this week.  Tyler Pastornicky has been a disappointment for the Braves. 

The skeptical Phillies fan who saw the Phillies score 16 runs on 21 hits last night against the New York Mets will say that the Phillies will follow it up with three hits and no runs.   With the Cardinals' loss to the Chicago Cubs this afternoon, the Phillies have the potential to be three games back of the second wild card with 11 play.  The Phillies must take advantage of the Cardinals loss to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Here are tonight's lineups:

Phillies:

1. Rollins, SS
2. Pierre, LF
3. Utley, 2B
4. Howard, 1B
5. Ruiz, C
6. Brown, RF
7. Mayberry, CF
8. Frandsen, 3B
9. Kendrick 

Altanta:

1. Bourn, CF
2. Prado, SS
3. Heyward, RF
4. Jones, 3B
5.  Freeman, 1B
6. Uggla, 2B
7. McCann, C
8. Constanza, LF
9. Hanson, P

Tonight's game can be seen on Comcast Sportsnet and heard on 1210AM WPHT and 94 WIP.