The Tampa Bay Rays have struggled against left-handers all season.
Now they have to face two who have haunted them in the past in one day.
The Philadelphia Phillies will send Cole Hamels and then Cliff Lee to the mound Sunday at Citizens Bank Park in a day-night doubleheader against the Rays.
Tampa Bay (38-32) has lost three straight overall and brings a 9-14 mark against left-handed starters into Sunday as it faces a pair of postseason nemeses from recent years in Hamels (10-3, 3.25 ERA) and Lee (0-3, 3.48).
Hamels was named the 2008 World Series MVP for going 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two starts against the Rays, victories for the Phillies (34-38) in Game 1 and the clinching Game 5. He hasn't faced Tampa Bay since.
He ranks among the majors' top 10 with 99 strikeouts after fanning seven and allowing two runs over eight innings to earn Tuesday's 7-2 home win over Colorado.
Lee went 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA and 21 strikeouts over 16 innings in a 2010 division series to help Texas defeat Tampa Bay in five games. He hasn't faced the Rays since, going 6-5 with a 2.87 ERA in 13 regular-season matchups before that.
Lee was originally scheduled to pitch Friday's contest, which was rained out to create this doubleheader. He warmed up with about 30-40 pitches Friday, and wasn't happy that the game was postponed after a delay of nearly three hours.
"I could've had my son look at the radar and he could've told me it was gonna rain," Lee told the Phillies' official website. "Somebody got that wrong. I don't know who it was, but it was pretty obvious it was gonna rain. Somebody up there was really adamant about us playing."
Philadelphia has lost eight of his 11 starts, but Lee has the third-lowest run-support average (2.90) in the majors.
David Price (9-4, 3.08) will start the opener for Tampa Bay against Hamels. He made two relief appearances in the 2008 World Series, then allowed a career-high 10 runs - five earned - in losing his lone career start against the Phillies in 2009.
The left-hander yielded four runs over seven innings to get credit for Tuesday's 5-4 victory at Washington, improving to 3-0 in his last four road starts. He has posted a 3.60 ERA in losing both 2012 matinée outings.
The Rays have not decided who will start the nightcap. Right-hander Alex Cobb (3-3, 3.82) is a possibility, although he may start Monday in Kansas City instead.
With Price going in the opener, the Phillies likely won't have lefty-swinging Jim Thome in the starting lineup. Thome, however, was the hero of Saturday's 7-6 victory with a pinch-hit home run off left-hander Jake McGee in the bottom of the ninth to win the game.
Thome recorded home run No. 609, tying Sammy Sosa for seventh place on the career list. He's baseball's all-time leader with 64 interleague homers, including five this year.
"Tip your hat to Thome. He hit a 96 mph fastball off a left-hander and they beat us," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.
Juan Pierre and Jimmy Rollins also homered for the Phillies, helping manager Charlie Manuel earn his 900th career win.
"To do that for him, it was special for sure," Thome said.
The Rays' Jeff Keppinger was 5 for 5 with three RBIs in his first game after he missed 29 because of a broken toe. He contributed to a two-run ninth-inning rally that gave Jonathan Papelbon his first blown save with Philadelphia.
The former Boston closer had converted his previous 12 save opportunities against the Rays, posting a 0.47 ERA in 18 appearances versus Tampa Bay from 2009-11.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- David Price knew he had to be on against Philadelphia's Cole Hamels . He was - good enough to get his AL-leading 10th win of the season.
Carlos Pena hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, Price and the Tampa Bay Rays over the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 Sunday in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
"I try to treat every start the same but whenever you're facing somebody who is one of their top guys, it definitely heightens your sense of awareness," Price said. "You know you can't go six and give up three."
Price (10-4) became the first AL pitcher to reach 10 wins this season. He went seven innings and gave up four hits, including Jimmy Rollins ' homer in the sixth.
"David was outstanding, really, really good," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "That's a great day's work."
Hamels pitched three-hit ball for seven shutout innings in his first appearance against the Rays since he was the MVP of the 2008 World Series.
Pena put the Rays ahead when he connected off Antonio Bastardo (2-2) for his 10th home run.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel became testy with the media when questioned about lifting Hamels for Bastardo, as well as explaining his late-game pinch-hitting decisions.
"That's our eighth inning guy," Manuel said of Bastardo. "I think right now, what you see is the pitchers that we have. That's the ones that we have in our minor leagues and up here. That's what it is."
"You guys ought to sit in the dugout with me and give me all the scenarios," Manuel added. "I don't think we know them. I mean, we don't know how to manage the game. Like really, I think you should sit down there with us or tweet us (strategy) or something."
A duel between two of the top left-handers in the major leagues shaped up from the start. Price trailed 1-0 before the Rays rallied.
Fernando Rodney pitched a scoreless ninth for his 21st save in 22 chances. Rollins reached second base with two outs after a single and stolen base, but Rodney struck out Hunter Pence swinging to end the game.
Rollins had three hits and Pence had a pair of doubles for the Phillies, who are 6-14 this month.
Hamels was 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two starts against Tampa Bay in 2008 when the Phillies won their title. He pitched even better on Sunday.
Hamels was perfect until walking B.J. Upton to lead off the fourth. After striking out Pena, Hamels surrendered his first hit to Jeff Keppinger - the play was originally ruled an error on third baseman Hector Luna and later changed to an infield single.
Hideki Matsui followed with a clean single to center and the bases were loaded when Ben Zobrist walked. But Hamels got Sean Rodriguez to fly out and end the 33-pitch inning.
Price retired 11 straight batters until hitting John Mayberry Jr. with a pitch with one out in the fifth.
Rollins opened the sixth by hitting a changeup to left field for his third homer in three games. Rollins slumped in April (.235) and May (.241) but raised his June average to .333.
Bastardo entered in the eighth in relief of Hamels and walked two of the first three batters he faced. Pena hit the first pitch over the fence in right field.
"You just listen to your manager and go with their decision," said Hamels, who threw 111 pitches. "When you go out there, ultimately the pitch count is a factor in this day and age. And when you reach a certain point in the pitch count, they don't want to stress anything on your arm."
Rollins had three hits and Pence had a pair of doubles for the Phillies, who are 6-14 this month.
"It's hard for us to have a winning streak because of our pitching," Manuel said. "At the same time, we're weak in other areas too. That's what I see."
The Phillies got a run back in the bottom half on Ty Wigginton 's RBI single off Burke Badenhop . Philadelphia had a chance to go in front with the bases loaded and two outs, but left-hander Jake McGee came on and got Michael Martinez to fly out to short right field.
The nightcap originally was scheduled for Friday, but was postponed due to heavy rain, wind and lightning after a 2-hour, 48-minute delay.
NOTES: Jim Thome , pinch-hitting for the Phillies in the eighth, was intentionally walked to tie Mickey Mantle for seventh place on the career list with 1,733 walks. ... Hamels fanned seven to tie Hall of Famer Jim Bunning for sixth place on the Phillies' career strikeout list with 1,197. ... The Phillies recalled RHP B.J. Rosenberg from Triple-A Lehigh Valley prior to the game and Tampa Bay recalled LHP Alex Torres from Triple-A Durham. Both were recalled due to a new rule allowing teams to add an extra player for doubleheaders. .... The Rays open a three-game series at Kansas City on Monday night with RHP Alex Cobb (3-3, 3.82 ERA) scheduled to face Royals RHP Luke Hochevar (4-7, 5.65). ... Philadelphia hosts the Pirates on Monday night for the first of four when RHP Joe Blanton (6-6, 5.04) faces LHP Erik Bedard (4-7, 4.13).