Phillies at Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies are both looking toward the future, and right now it looks like the Red Sox are on the better track. The Phillies will try to get their youth to shine and even the series at one win apiece when they host Boston on Saturday.
The Red Sox made the decision to give their young players plenty of chances down the stretch and the results have been outstanding, with Jackie Bradley Jr., Travis Shaw, Xander Bogaerts, Rusney Castillo and Mookie Betts carrying the team. Bradley homered while Bogaerts and Betts combined for four hits, three RBIs and three runs in a 7-5 win in the series opener. Several of Philadelphia’s better young players are battling injuries, but rookie Darnell Sweeney is making the most of his expanded playing time with five RBIs in the last three games. The Phillies will showcase another rookie when Alec Asher takes the mound opposite Boston’s Wade Miley on Saturday.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Alec Asher (0-1, 6.35 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Wade Miley (10-10, 4.57)
Asher is giving Philadelphia fans a look at some of the return from the trade of Cole Hamels and struggled in his major-league debut on Sunday. The 23-year-old was reached for four runs on eight hits and a walk in 5 2/3 innings to suffer the loss. Asher went 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in four minor-league starts following the trade.
Miley is trying to bounce back from a pair of rough starts and was reached for a total of nine runs and 22 hits in 12 2/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets to close out August. The Louisiana native surrendered a total of three runs in each of his previous two outings. Miley is 1-1 with a 4.24 ERA in three career starts against the Phillies.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox 3B Pablo Sandoval (mid-back tightness) was scratched from the lineup Friday and is day-to-day.
2. Philadelphia RF Domonic Brown (concussion) could miss the rest of the season.
3. Bogaerts is 7-for-13 over the last three games and has multiple hits in six of the last eight.