Houston Visits Philadelphia for First Trip in 27 Months

For those wondering, that would be the final at bat of Game Five of the 1980 National League Championship Series between the Phillies and Astros. Dick Ruthven, a starting pitcher during the regular season that year, became a part of the bullpen for the playoffs up until the World Series. His two shutout innings to close out the game led the Phillies to their epic comeback en route to their World Series Championship. And in a year where the Astros have finally reversed roles with Philadelphia, it's fun to sob and remember the good times (even if you weren't yet born…). Tonight, the Astros will play in Citizens Bank Park for the first time since May of 2012, when they were still a part of the National League. Dallas Keuchel and Kyle Kendrick will get the opportunity to face off for the second time in their careers.

One extra run kept Kyle Kendrick from tossing a quality in his last start against the New York Mets. Six innings of work resulted in four earned runs and a loss for his team. This season, the right hander is allowing just under 30% of his baserunners to score, and that number has been even higher his last five starts. It is a hideous trend that will always result in awful numbers for pitchers, and with the way his season has gone, it doesn't seem that Kendrick is getting any better. If you're looking for some form of hope to hang on to, Kyle's K-BB% and FIP are both better in Philadelphia than they are on the road (thank you, FanGraphs). 

If you don't recall the Phillies ever facing Keuchel (I didn't), it's probably because when he made that September start against the team, he had only been in the league for three months. That day, Keuchel tossed 95 pitches in 5.1 innings with four walks allowed. The Astros would go on to win that game after Kendrick allowed four earned runs. This season, Keuchel has been outstanding for Houston, putting up award-worthy numbers. His ERA rests under 3.00 while his FIP is just a hair higher. His 2.9 WAR by far surpasses the rest of the Astros' pitching staff, but his one weakness seems to rest in his strikeouts and walks. He's averaging less than seven Ks and over two BBs per game. Keuchel is coming off his second complete game performance of the season.

Game Notes

• The Phillies have just a single victory in interleague play this season, their Opening Day game against the Texas Rangers. Since then, they have lost their final two games in Arlington, followed by two series sweeps at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels. 
• Houston has not been very successful in interleague play either. Against a combination of the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, and Arizona Diamondbacks, the Astros are just 4-10. 
• Darin Ruf gets the start in left field for the Phillies tonight. Ruf has just four hits in 34 plate appearances in 2014. Domonic Brown has yet to play a game in the month of August.

Phillies Lineup

1. Ben Revere CF
2. Jimmy Rollins SS
3. Chase Utley 2B
4. Ryan Howard 1B
5. Marlon Byrd RF
6. Carlos Ruiz C
7. Darin Ruf LF
8. Cody Asche 3B
9. Kyle Kendrick P

Astros Lineup

1. Jose Altuve 2B
2. Robbie Grossman RF
3. Chris Carter LF
4. Jason Castro C
5. Jon Singleton 1B
6. Matt Dominguez 3B
7. Jake Marisnik CF
8. Marwin Gonzalez SS
9. Dallas Keuchel

Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Weather: 83°F – Light Rain – 73% PoP
Game Time: 7:05 PM Eastern

Andrew Gillen, Managing Editor of Philliedelphia.com