Braves at Phillies
Aaron Harang and Cody Asche are two of the precious few bright spots for the Philadelphia Phillies, who hope the duo provides a spark when the Phillies host the struggling Atlanta Braves on Friday. Harang looks for his third victory as he takes the mound for a Philadelphia team that has lost nine of its past 11 while Asche has a hit in five straight games and eight of his past 10.
The Phillies have scored a major league-low 41 runs as aging stars Ryan Howard (.196, one homer in 46 at-bats) and Chase Utley (.120, 10 strikeouts in 50 at-bats) have failed to get going offensively. Atlanta is not playing well either, having lost four of its first six games on its current nine-game road trip. Nick Markakis is batting .519 during an eight-game hitting streak and Andrelton Simmons has a seven-game streak, but the Braves have allowed five runs or more in six of their past eight games.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN South (Atlanta), CSN Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Alex Wood (1-0, 3.93 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Aaron Harang (2-1, 1.96)
Wood has not received a decision in his past two starts – both one-run losses for Atlanta – after allowing three runs in 6 2/3 innings against the Mets on April 11 and posting the same totals at Toronto on Saturday. He made two starts against the Phillies in 2014, going 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 14 innings. Wood threw the only complete game of his career at Philadelphia on April 17, 2014, losing 1-0.
Harang won 12 games for the Braves last season and is off to a strong start in Philadelphia, allowing four runs in 18 1/3 innings with 15 strikeouts. Three of those runs came in his last start, a 5-3 victory Saturday at Washington in which Harang struck out six in six innings. Harang has limited opponents to a .196 average while posting a 0.98 WHIP.
WALK-OFFS
1. Right-handed batters are hitting .146 against Harang with 12 strikeouts and one extra-base hit in 41 at-bats.
2. Atlanta pitchers have posted a 5.74 ERA in the past eight games.
3. The Phillies drew just 17,097 to Thursday’s loss, the lowest total in Citizens Bank Park’s 10-year history.