=== Thome and Phillies go for fourth-straight win ===

Anaheim, CA (My Sportsbook) - The Phillies try to tie a season-high with their fourth straight victory tonight as they tangle with the Anaheim Angels in the middle contest of a three-game interleague series at Edison Field. The four-game run would equal the mark set April 12-15.

Last night, Jim Thome ended 2-for-4 with a solo homer and an RBI single and Vicente Padilla tossed seven shutout innings as the Phillies blanked the Angels, 3-0. Jimmy Rollins added a solo homer for Philadelphia.

Thome, who spent the first 12 years of his career playing in the American League for the Cleveland Indians, continues to have success against the Angels. He is hitting .319 (84-for-263) with 18 homers and 54 RBI lifetime against Anaheim.

Padilla (5-7) allowed just five hits while striking out two and hitting a pair of batters. Padilla didn't walk anyone and improved to 2-6 over his last nine outings. Rheal Cormier worked a scoreless eighth inning and Jose Mesa pitched a perfect ninth for his 16th save. Mesa tied Steve Bedrosian for the most saves in team history at 103.

Scott Spiezio went 3-for-4 as the Angels had a two-game winning streak snapped and lost for just the third time in nine games. Jarrod Washburn (6-6) was handed the loss after yielding three runs on eight hits in 7 2/3 innings of work.

Brandon Duckworth gets the call to the mound tonight for the Phillies. The righthander doesn't have a decision over his last three outings, but is 3-0 over his last seven appearances and hasn't lost since his first start of the season, April 20 against Atlanta.

Righthander John Lackey, who has just one victory in his last four outings (1-2), will start this evening for Anaheim. Lackey is coming off a no-decision Thursday versus Montreal, when he allowed seven hits and four runs in six innings.

Phillies third baseman David Bell is mired in a 2-for-48 slump since his home run in the second inning on May 24 against the Montreal Expos.