Diamondbacks at Phillies
The Arizona Diamondbacks have won five straight and eight of their last nine games to put themselves in position to challenge for first place in the National league West. The Diamondbacks will try to make it six in a row and clinch their fourth straight series win when they visit the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday for the second contest of their three-game series.
The Diamondbacks are in a three-way battle with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado for first in the NL West and need to avoid overlooking the lowly Phillies with a three-game series at Colorado looming next week. Arizona fell behind 4-2 on Friday before rallying for three runs in the seventh inning on a two-run homer by Gregor Blanco and Jake Lamb's sacrifice fly en route to a 5-4 victory. The Phillies have twice as many losses as wins at 22-44 and have dropped nine of their last 10 contests. Philadelphia, which visits Arizona for a four-game series next weekend, will send Jerad Eickhoff to the mound on Saturday opposite Zack Godley.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, TCN (Philadelphia)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Zack Godley (2-1, 2.44 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Jerad Eickhoff (0-7, 5.09)
Godley is enjoying a string of six straight quality starts and has yet to allow more than three earned runs in seven outings this season. The 27-year-old held Milwaukee to two runs on two hits and a walk over 6 2/3 innings while striking out four last Saturday to snap his four-start winless streak. Godley will be making his first career start against the Phillies after tossing a perfect inning of relief versus them last season.
Eickhoff is the first Phillies pitcher to go winless in his first 13 starts since Cliff Lee in 2012 and is coming off a no-decision at Boston in which he allowed four runs - three earned - and seven hits in six innings. The 26-year-old is not getting much support from Philadelphia's offense, which totaled one or no runs in four of his last six turns. Eickhoff is 0-1 with a 4.22 ERA and 16 hits allowed in 10 2/3 career innings against Arizona.
WALK-OFFS
1. Diamondbacks RHP Fernando Rodney did not allow an earned run in his 16th straight appearance on Friday to lower his ERA to 4.91 and earn his 19th save.
2. Philadelphia CF Odubel Herrera went 2-for-4 on Friday after going 0-for-14 in his previous three games.
3. Arizona RF David Peralta went 3-for-5 on Friday - the fourth time he recorded three hits in his last six contests.