PHILADELPHIA -- Kyle Kendrick has to wait an extra day to start another home opener. The Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers enjoyed an unexpected day off Monday without having to sit around in their uniforms and wait through rain delays. A gloomy forecast forced postponement of their game 25 hours before the scheduled start. When the teams meet Tuesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, Kendrick (0-0) will face former Phillies pitcher Kyle Lohse (0-1). Itll be Kendricks second straight start in the home opener. "The fans are going to be excited and Im looking forward to it," he said. "Well be back home for the first time this year and hopefully we can get a win. Thats the main thing." The Phillies went 3-3 in their first six games at Texas and the Chicago Cubs. Bullpen breakdowns cost them two games against the Rangers, including closer Jonathan Papelbons eighth blown save since 2013. But the offence got off to a surprisingly strong start after a miserable spring. The Phillies are batting .276 and averaging 5.2 runs per game. After hitting just .217 with three extra-base hits and three RBIs in Florida, Chase Utley found his groove once the games started to count. He already has three doubles, two homers, six RBIs and a .458 average. Dominic Brown is hitting .381, Jimmy Rollins has six RBIs in four games and the team has seven homers. "Chase is a perfect example of why we dont worry as much as everybody else worries," general Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "When the bell rings and the lights are major league lights and the background, those guys are ready to turn on the switch." The Brewers (4-2) are coming in after a three-game sweep of the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. It could be a welcome trip to Philadelphia for Ryan Braun, who has only three singles in 20 at-bats. The 2011 NL MVP has had more success against the Phillies than any other team. He has a career average of .386 with a .430 on-base percentage, .690 slugging percentage, 14 homers and 30 RBIs in 43 games vs. Philadelphia. Braun is battling a thumb injury that also bothered him last year before he served a 65-game suspension for violations of MLBs drug agreement and labour contract. Braun heard boos in Boston in his first road game since returning and surely will hear some more in Philadelphia. Lohse takes the mound for the Brewers after losing to Atlanta in his first start. The right-hander pitched for the Phillies in the second half of 2007, helping them begin their streak of five NL East titles. "That was the year we caught the Mets, when we were down seven games with 17 to play," Lohse told MLB.com. "Unfortunately, we ran into the Rockies that year, when they won 22 in a row or whatever it was to get in the playoffs. They were on fire. But I enjoyed my time (in Philadelphia). It was fun to be a part of that comeback." Both teams are trying to rebound from fourth-place finishes in 2013. The Phillies were 73-89 and the Brewers won one more game. Mark Herzlich Jersey . As a follow-up, TSN.ca offers you the opportunity to chime in on all the big issues with our insiders. Read up on all the questions and answers, and put in your own two cents on our popular Your Call feature. Lawrence Taylor Jersey . The Blue Jackets announced the injury through their official Twitter account Friday afternoon. Gaborik, 31, has scored five goals and six assists in 17 games with the Blue Jackets in 2013-14. www.giantsauthenticshop.com/Youth-Damon-...son-Giants-Jersey/.Y. -- Dwane Casey admitted hed been concerned about his young Raptors team who had zero experience playing in close-out games -- what awaited them with the vastly-experienced Brooklyn Nets, and how theyd react. Evan Engram Jersey . Felton was in court as the Manhattan district attorneys office outlined the agreement, which would resolve a gun case that arose amid the breakup of his marriage. Hes expected to admit June 30 to at least one charge, attempted criminal possession of a weapon -- he wont have to come to court to do so -- and get a $5,000 fine and 500 hours of community service. Weston Richburg Jersey . Scheffler told The Associated Press on Wednesday he made the choice because he had three concussions over the past four years.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Geno Smith still thinks of himself as the New York Jets starting quarterback. Until hes told otherwise. Smiths up-and-down rookie season ended with four solid games as the Jets finished 8-8, but out of the playoffs. Both coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik have said that while Smith improved greatly, they will wait until they see whos on the roster in a few months before considering their starters at any position. "It motivates me," Smith told The Associated Press on Friday. "I know Rex, and he knows how to push my buttons. Im definitely going to go into this season as I always do: with a chip on my shoulder with that edge." Smith was in midtown Manhattan serving fans from an ice cream truck as part of a promotional event for New Era caps — a few hours after Ryan did the same. Smith, who had 12 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions, is expected to be in the quarterback mix whether the Jets sign a veteran or draft someone to compete with him. But, it appears he didnt do enough for the Jets to anoint him the starter as they head into the off-season. "Ive gotten better, but Ive got a long ways to go," Smith acknowledged. "Ive got to continue to progress and Im going to take this year just as I took last year, and thats to try to get better every single day." Smith declined to comment on his recent off-field issues, which included a disagreement with a flight attendant at Los Angeles International airport, for which Virgin America airline later apologized. "Nah, were not talking about that stufff," he said.dddddddddddd Taking a quick break from handing out ice cream cones on Super Bowl Boulevard in Times Square, Smith talked about how much he enjoyed seeing the area jam-packed with football fans getting ready for the NFLs biggest game Sunday at MetLife Stadium. It also reminded him of his ultimate goal on the field. "Just being here and being around this atmosphere has definitely made me even more hungry," he said. "Just to get into this position has been something Ive been longing for my entire life, so I just want to work toward it." Smith started all 16 games for the Jets after claiming the job once Mark Sanchez went down for the season with a shoulder injury in the preseason. There were flashes from Smith at times, particularly with four winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime of the Jets first seven games. But there were also troubling stretches, such as the seven-game stretch midway through the season in which he had one touchdown pass and 11 interceptions. While Smith insisted "I dont do grades," he said he learned a lot on the job — a crash course in life in the NFL that not many rookie quarterbacks get to experience. "It was very valuable, man," Smith said. "Not only from the standpoint of being on the field, but off the field. All the emotions I had to go through and all the good and bad things I had to go through, and ultimately, it strengthened me. "It made me a better player and made me a better person off the field." ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '