The initially alarming news out of the Phillies camp this afternoon was that Roy Oswalt has left the team for personal reasons. After the first WTF?! reaction, just realize that Little Roy has some personal things that he needs to apparently deal with and the Phillies expect him back with the team. [Updated Below]
So Roy won't be with the team this afternoon as they take on Arizona and try to salvage a 'W' in the desert, but that shouldn't matter much, unless the game goes 17 innings or something and they need a left fielder. Cole Hamels starts for the Fightins.
Hamels (2-1, 2.92) will take on Joe Saunders (0-2, 4.98) who is arguably the best of the Diamondbacks rotation. Not very encouraging for the Phils team that has been beaten twice in a row by Arizona.
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But if you are looking for a bright spot, the Phillies are an MLB-best 8-0 in games played in the daytime.
John Mayberry will get the start in left for the struggling Raul Ibanez (hasn't gotten a hit in eons) and will hopefully add some pop to the lineup.
3:40 start time from Arizona. We'll be watching on the couch if anyone wants to chat along in the comments.
Update from the Phillies: There has been a tremendous amount of tornado activity near Roy’s home in Mississippi resulting in several tragic deaths and significant devastation to the area. Because of this, Roy is concerned about his family’s well-being. He has chosen to take time to make sure there wasn’t significant damage to his home, but more importantly, to make certain that his wife and children are okay.