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The Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Devil Rays will square off in an interleague matchup for the first time since the Phillies beat the Devil Rays in the fifth game of the World Series. The win gave Philadelphia its first World Series Championship in 28 years. Tonight the two squads open a three game set at Tropicana Field, with Tampa Bay looking for some revenge.

The Phillies had been playing some great baseball this year, that was until their recent home stand. They went 1-8 over their past nine at home, losing their past six. Toronto and Baltimore both swept the Phillies in three game sets.

Perhaps a meeting with Tampa Bay is exactly what Philadelphia need right now. This matchup could rekindle some memories of eight months past. Then again, maybe Philadelphia is a struggling team right now and it's a great time to bet against them. This is exactly how I am thinking.

The Phillies have seen their lead in the NL East shrink down to 1 ½ games over the New York Mets. There could be a sense of urgency in the clubhouse and perhaps some guys are trying to do too much. The reality is that the Phillies are sliding and I don't think Jamie Moyer is the guy who can go out and stop it. Moyer is having a subpar year. His record stands at 4-6, which reminds you of the fact he is 46 years old. His ERA sits above six and his opponent batting average is .328.

The Devil Rays send David Price to the hill tonight. It's interesting to note that Price was born a year after Moyer was drafted in the 6th round by the Chicago Cubs. Price is a great young talent. The 2007 first overall draft pick is carrying a 1.80 ERA at home this year, with opponents just hitting .189 at Tropicana Field.

I like the Devil Rays to take advantage of the sliding Phillies and get some revenge. Take Tampa Bay to win this one.