Phillies at Braves
Losing Freddie Freeman figured to devastate the Atlanta Braves, but the acquisition of Matt Adams and a strong offense have kept the team afloat entering its four-game home series against the Philadelphia Phillies, which begins Monday. Obtained in a May 20 trade with St. Louis, Adams hit his fifth homer in 13 games with the club as the Braves wrapped up a 4-5 road trip with Sunday’s 13-8 victory at Cincinnati.
Adams, who had been limited to pinch-hitting duties before the deal, has delivered 15 hits for the Braves - 10 for extra bases (four doubles, one triple) - while Ender Inciarte recorded his second five-hit performance in 13 days to raise his average to .299. Philadelphia completed just its fifth series win of the season with Sunday's 9-7 triumph over San Francisco, which raised its record to 7-26 over its last 33 games. Odubel Herrera hit .104 during a rough 13-game stretch in late May but rebounded with two hits Saturday and three - along with three RBIs and two runs scored - on Sunday. The Phillies outscored Atlanta 13-8 while sweeping a three-game home series in April.
TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Southeast (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Nick Pivetta (0-2, 5.12 ERA) vs. Braves RH Bartolo Colon (2-6, 6.99)
Philadelphia recalled Pivetta from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make the fifth start of the season. The rookie lost his first two turns, falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 30 and Washington five days later, but has not allowed more than four earned runs in any of his outings. In his last start before heading back to the minors, the 24-year-old held Texas to one run and three hits with five strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings on May 18.
The 44-year-old Colon has been unable to recapture the magic of his last three seasons with the Mets, giving up six or more runs five times in 11 starts. He surrendered nine - only two were earned due to a disastrous defensive performance in the third inning - in losing for the fifth time in six decisions Tuesday against the host Los Angeles Angels, and the league is hitting .325 versus baseball’s oldest active player. Colon allowed four runs and 11 hits over seven frames in a loss at Philadelphia on April 21.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Phillies’ series victory over the Giants was their first since sweeping a two-game set against Miami from April 26-27.
2. Atlanta INF/OF Danny Santana went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored on Sunday after entering with nine hits in 60 at-bats on the season.
3. Herrera leads all center fielders in doubles (16), hitting two in each of his last two games.