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HOU@PHI: Blanton strikes out seven over seven innings

A few weeks ago, in a start against the Astros at Citizens Bank Park, Joe Blanton looked more like a top-of-the-rotation starter than the fifth man on the Phillies' staff.

But since then, Blanton has struggled, allowing at least six runs in three consecutive starts. The right-hander has been susceptible to the long ball, surrendering eight home runs over those three shaky starts.

Blanton will look to get back on track when he starts against the Marlins, winners of 22 of their past 31 games, on Sunday. The Marlins won Saturday's game, 5-4, handing Cole Hamels just his second loss of the season.

Blanton, who is 4-5 with a 5.05 ERA on the season, allowed just two home runs in his first seven starts, in which he went 4-2 with a 2.81 ERA. But it's been a different story since for the veteran.

"It's so bad that you can't even get mad, really," Blanton said after his last start on Tuesday, a 6-3 loss against the Mets. "That's really how I feel. I don't know. That's about the only way I can put it. It's that bad that I can't even get mad."

The Marlins will counter with Carlos Zambrano (3-3, 3.00) on Sunday. Miami has won five of Zambrano's last six starts, but Zambrano is 2-3 with a 5.35 ERA at Citizens Bank Park.

Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said that pitchers have to be careful when pitching in the hitter-friendly stadium that is Citizens Bank Park.

"This ballpark looks like a bull-ring arena," Guillen said. "It's so small. I threw batting practice [Friday]. I know why they have the pitching staff the way they are.

"If you come in here with a mediocre pitching staff, you're going to get killed. This ballpark is very small. They have great hitters. That combination is not too pretty."

Marlins: Ruggiano makes first start as Marlin
Justin Ruggiano made his first start as a Marlin on Saturday, batting sixth and playing left field. Ruggiano, acquired in a Minor League deal with the Astros on May 25, hit a pinch-hit homer and singled in Friday night's 6-4 loss to the Phillies.

On Saturday, he went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

"I like the kid, Ruggiano," Guillen said before Saturday's game. "He might be getting more playing time. I like the way he is swinging the bat. I like the way he's running the bases. He's a pretty good athlete. You might see him against righties, too."

Phillies: Contreras out for season
Right-handed reliever Jose Contreras will miss the rest of the season after tearing the UCL and flexor pronator tendon in his right elbow on a fastball he threw in the seventh inning of Friday night's win. The 40-year-old veteran clutched his arm and fell to the ground after throwing the pitch.

"I feel badly for him," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "He worked pretty hard to get back to the point where he was starting to get pretty effective. It's a tough piece of news to take."

Right-handed reliever Michael Schwimer was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday to take Contreras' spot. Schwimer threw one-third of an inning against the Marlins, walking a batter.

Worth noting
• Shane Victorino returned to the lineup on Saturday. He did not start Friday after getting a cortisone shot on his hand near his right index finger. He went 1-for-3 with a walk.

• Carlos Zambrano is 4-4 with a 4.26 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) against the Phillies.

• Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz entered Saturday as the Major League leader in batting average. Ruiz went into Saturday's game with a .381 average, holding a slim lead on Paul Konerko of the White Sox and the Giants' Melky Cabrera, both of whom are batting .376.

Ruiz went 0-for-4 with an RBI groundout on Saturday, lowering his average to .371.

• Jose Reyes extended his hitting streak to 13 games on Saturday with an RBI double in the seventh inning.

• Blanton is 7-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 10 career starts against the Marlins. He's 1-0 this season after he allowed just one run on three hits in seven innings in a 3-1 Phillies win on April 12.

• The Phillies lead the season series, 3-2.

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