Raulibanez

Kevin McAlpin covers the Phillies for 97.5 The Fanatic.  Follow him on Twitter (@KevinMcAlpin)
As painful as last night's loss is for Phillies fans, it's nothing compared to the thought of possibly losing Chase Utley for an extended period of time.  Utley injured his right thumb diving in to second base in the fourth inning, and had to come out of the game in the ninth.  Last night's loss dropped the Phillies to 3 1/2 games out of first place in the NL East. 

Tonight, the Phillies send Joe Blanton (3-5, 6.53) to the mound in the middle game of the three-game series.  After starting the season on the DL, Blanton struggled to a 1-5 record.  However, he's won two straight starts and is 2-0 lifetime against Cincinnati.  The Reds send Mike Leake (5-1, 2.92) to the hill after an eight-day layoff.  Leake last pitched on June 21, holding the A's to just one run on five hits over six innings.  The 22-year-old has pitched in to the seventh inning in seven of his 14 starts this season.  After winning four straight, the Phillies have dropped two out of three while the Reds have won six of their last seven. 

Happ Update:  J.A. Happ appears to be getting close to returning from the DL.  Happ will make his fifth rehab start tonight, this time with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.  Through four rehab starts (three with Reading), Happ has surrendered 13 runs over 15 1/3 innings of work.