AP Photo/Al Behrman

Dan Uggla's worst place to visit in 2007 was Citizens Bank Park, where he was 3-for-34 (.088).

WEEKEND PREVIEW

By Mark Simon, ESPN Research

First place in the NL East is at stake as the surprising Marlins try to shut down the Phillies' powerful offense, which won't be easy at Citizens Bank Park.

The Marlins are 15-23 in the Phillies' new ballpark, and Philadelphia has feasted on Florida pitching at home, to the tune of a .312 batting average and 6.6 runs per game. But Florida's young pitching has looked impressive at times and is capable of shutting down opposing bats. The Marlins' problem may be trying to score against Phillies lefties Cole Hamels and Jamie Moyer, though having a southpaw on the mound should be beneficial to Dan Uggla.

June swoons have turned contenders into average teams by midseason, and both Florida teams face significant challenges this weekend. The Rays are well-prepared for the White Sox, though, and it will be a gut-check for James Shields and Scott Kazmir to see if they can match up against a Chicago staff that has the kind of championship-level experience that teams crave.

Friday

• Braves (Tom Glavine) at Reds (Edinson Volquez), 7:10 p.m. ET
The unbelievable turnaround of Edinson Volquez pits him against one of baseball's ageless wonders. Volquez has gone 10 straight starts to start the season without allowing more than two earned runs. His mound foe, Tom Glavine, has 295 more victories than Volquez, but doesn't have a comparable streak. Glavine's best start to a season was in 2002, when he allowed two earned runs or fewer in seven straight starts.

• White Sox (Jose Contreras) at Rays (James Shields), 7:10 p.m. ET
Jose Contreras has looked pretty sharp lately, reverting to the form that made him so successful in 2005. He's 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA in his last four starts. His mound foe, James Shields, has found the comforts of an unfilled Tropicana Field much to his liking. His home ERA is 1.75 in six starts. His road ERA is 6.04.

• Indians (Cliff Lee) at Royals (Gil Meche), 8:10 p.m. ET
The Royals have lost 11 straight and now have the misfortune of facing the AL's best pitcher to this point. Cliff Lee is 8-4 against Kansas City, having pitched a three-hit shutout against the Royals earlier this season.

• Complete list of pitching probables for Friday's games

Saturday

• White Sox (Javier Vazquez) at Rays (Scott Kazmir), 6:10 p.m. ET
The White Sox have won Javier Vazquez's last four starts, so that bodes well for Chicago in this matchup, as does Vazquez's 5-2 mark against the Rays (though his ERA is 4.48). However, Scott Kazmir has been unbelievable in his last four starts (4-0, 0.69 ERA), so he'll be a very tough opponent, particularly if he goes deep into the game.

• Marlins (Ricky Nolasco) at Phillies (Cole Hamels), 7:05 p.m. ET
Cole Hamels looks for a bounce-back, after allowing six runs in four innings in his last start. He'd prefer to pitch the way he did in his two prior starts, in which he threw 16 shutout innings. Ricky Nolasco would prefer to maintain one of the best pitching stretches in his career, a four-start run in which he's 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA.

• Yankees (Chien-Ming Wang) at Twins (Boof Bonser), 7:10 p.m. ET
Chien-Ming Wang hasn't been good in his last four starts, which is unusual for him. He's 0-2 with a 5.14 ERA, having allowed 12 runs in his last two appearances. But Wang can be thankful he's not Boof Bonser, who has a 9.59 ERA in his last five starts and a 9.31 ERA against the Yankees in two prior appearances.

• Complete list of pitching probables for Saturday's games

Sunday

• Marlins (Andrew Miller) at Phillies (Jamie Moyer), 1:35 p.m. ET
Andrew Miller turned a year old a few weeks before Jamie Moyer made his major league debut, but they'll go head to head, potentially with the NL East lead at stake. Moyer is 7-0 career against the Marlins, the second-best undefeated record against the Marlins (Jason Schmidt, 8-0).

• Blue Jays (A.J. Burnett) at Angels (Jon Garland), 3:35 p.m. ET
Jon Garland has won four straight starts against the Jays, but it hasn't been an easy go through the Toronto lineup. Garland has a 4.97 ERA in that stretch. He's 2-0 with a 1.78 ERA in his last five starts, despite pitching to contact (10 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings).

• Dodgers (Hiroki Kuroda) at Mets (Johan Santana), 8:10 p.m. ET
Buster Olney has written recently that scouts have seen a drop-off in Johan Santana's performance from great to very good. He's dropped from great to inconsistent in his home ballpark, whether that be the Metrodome or Shea Stadium. After going 12-0 at home in 2006, he's just 7-10 since, with a 3.76 ERA in Minnesota and a 4.26 ERA at Shea Stadium.

• Complete list of pitching probables for Sunday's games

Past Baseball Tonight Clubhouses: May 28 | May 27 | May 26 | May 25 | May 22 | May 21

NEWS AND NOTES

• Looking for some offensive punch, the Royals sent struggling DH/first baseman Billy Butler to Triple-A Omaha and called up infielder Mike Aviles, a 27-year-old non-roster invitee. Aviles was 0-for-3 and struck out. … Padres right-hander Chris Young, whose nose was broken by a line drive by Albert Pujols on May 21, was scheduled to see a doctor on Thursday afternoon. Manager Bud Black said the main concern is with a small fracture in Young's skull. Black also said Young will probably need surgery to straighten his septum. … Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli (mitochondrial disorder), who has only played in 127 games over the past four seasons because of an assortment of injuries, went 1-for-5 as the designated hitter in an extended spring training game -- his first game action since going on the 60-day DL on March 28.