The Phillies needed a flawless effort from Roy Halladay to take the opener in this series, and they got a gem. While this one may look like a Philly slam dunk with Cliff Lee on the mound, the Pirates took two of three here last year from the Phillies. One of those two wins was generated by a pitching gem of their own, as Karstens held the Philly lineup in check in a 2-1 Pirates win. Philadelphia hasn’t exactly been automatic as a favorite of -151 to -200 where they are just 1-7 in their last eight. While it is early in the season, this situation applies because the Phillies are likely to be a very good road team this season, and the Pirates are 11-4 in their last 15 vs. a team better than .600 on the road. Play on Pittsburgh.
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