Phillies Notebook: History not on Oswalt's side against Marlins

MIAMI - Roy Oswalt will make his debut at Citizens Bank Park against the Dodgers on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on how the Phillies handle a scheduled off day on Monday.

Oswalt, who is scheduled to start tonight against Marlins righthander Chris Volstad, will be on his fifth day on Tuesday.

Manager Charlie Manuel said earlier this week that he anticipated his three aces - Oswalt, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels - pitching every fifth day down the stretch. But the Phillies also could start Kendrick on Tuesday, which would be his usual turn in the rotation.

First, though, Oswalt will try to contain a team that has hit him hard over the last three seasons. The veteran righthander, acquired last week for lefthander J.A. Happ and prospects Anthony Gose and Jonathan Villar, has allowed at least five earned runs in each of his last three outings against the Marlins, dating back to 2008. During that stretch, he has allowed a combined 19 earned runs in 15 innings. He has not faced Florida this season. He'll look to reverse his recent fortune tonight, when he goes against Chris Volstad.

Oswalt's first start for the Phillies came last Friday at Nationals Park, when he allowed four earned runs in six innings of an 8-1 loss. The day before he had signed off on a trade from the Astros and kicked off a whirlwind stretch that included a night flight from Houston to Washington less than 24 hours before his first start.

Cosart shut down

 

The Phillies are playing it safe with rising pitching prospect Jarred Cosart, shutting down the 20-year-old righty until at least instructional league play in September. Cosart was 7-3 with a 3.79 ERA, 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings and 2.0 walks per nine innings in 14 starts for low-A Lakewood before a sore elbow prompted a visit to renowned orthopedist James Andrews in June. Andrews did not recommend surgery, although Cosart skipped the Futures Game and has not pitched since.

Phillers

 

Tomorrow marks the start of the Phillies' annual alumni weekend, which features the induction of catcher Darren Daulton into the Wall of Fame before the game against the Mets . . . The start of last night's game was delayed 58 minutes due to a thunderstorm. *