Reds at Phillies
After beginning the season with an unceremonious sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds, the Philadelphia Phillies look to return the favor on Sunday afternoon when the clubs conclude their three-game set at Citizens Bank Park. Light-hitting Philadelphia has had little margin for error despite winning six of its last seven, with five of those triumphs a result of one-run decisions - including both outings in this series.
The Phillies improved to a majors-best 14-3 in that regard after rookie left fielder Tyler Goeddel threw out Eugenio Suarez at the plate for the final out to preserve a 4-3 win on Saturday. Goeddel has also shown flashes of promise at the plate of late, improving his batting average to .200 after going 3-for-6 with two RBIs and as many runs scored in the series. Cincinnati's Adam Duvall had a pair of RBI doubles on Saturday to improve to 4-for-7 in the series. Despite his strong showing, National League Central cellar-dwelling Cincinnati has dropped 13 of its last 18 overall and 12 of 14 road contests.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), CSN Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Dan Straily (1-1, 3.47 ERA) vs. Phillies LH Adam Morgan (1-0, 3.94)
Straily continues to struggle with his control as he issued three walks in his last outing to increase his season total to 17 in 36 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old pitched well despite the free passes on Monday against Pittsburgh, recording a no-decision after permitting two runs on four hits in six innings. Straily, who has yielded just 14 earned runs in 2016, will be pitching against the Phillies for the first time in his career.
Morgan found his way into the win column on Tuesday as he allowed one run on four hits and matched a career high by working seven innings in a 3-2 triumph over Atlanta. The 26-year-old was thrilled with the performance, as he admitted he routinely sat in the upper deck at Turner Field while growing up in Marietta, Ga. That "homecoming" effort notwithstanding, Morgan pitched well in his lone start at Citizens Bank Park on April 29, striking out seven over five innings in a no-decision versus Cleveland.
WALK-OFFS
1. Philadelphia CF Odubel Herrera has hit safely in 22 of his last 24 contests.
2. Cincinnati veteran 1B Joey Votto is 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in the series after reaching base safely in each of his previous 18 consecutive games.
3. Phillies SS Freddy Galvis has recorded a hit in all five contests versus the Reds this season.