Padres at Phillies
The San Diego Padres are going into the All-Star break strong with wins in five of their last six games. The Philadelphia Phillies, who host the Padres in the finale of a three-game, first half-closing series on Sunday, are trending in the opposite direction with five consecutive losses.
The Phillies (28-58) own the worst record in the majors and robbed themselves of a chance to reach 30 wins before the break by dropping a 2-1 decision to San Diego on Saturday - their second straight one-run loss in the series. Philadelphia failed to score more than three runs in any of the last five contests and nine of the last 14. The only team in the majors with fewer runs scored in the first half is the Padres, but San Diego is getting key hits from Austin Hedges in the series to do just enough to scrape by the Phillies. Trying to keep Hedges from recording a go-ahead RBI in the third straight game on Sunday will be Jerad Eickhoff while Trevor Cahill goes for the Padres.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, CSN Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Trevor Cahill (3-2, 2.96 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Jerad Eickhoff (0-7, 4.93)
Cahill (shoulder) came off the disabled list on Tuesday and scattered four hits and two walks over 4 1/3 scoreless innings at Cleveland. The California native was making his first start since May 13 and was limited to 85 pitches against the Indians. Cahill is 2-4 with a 3.40 ERA in 11 career appearances - five starts - against Philadelphia.
Eickhoff will get one more chance to earn his first win before the All-Star break when he comes off the disabled list on Sunday. The 27-year-old allowed one run in six innings against Arizona on June 17 but could not come away with the win in a game the Phillies went on to lose 5-1, and he hit the disabled list for the first time in his career with back stiffness days later. Eickhoff earned a win in each of his two previous starts against San Diego, yielding a total of four earned runs in 13 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Phillies 1B Tommy Joseph doubled in each of the last three games.
2. San Diego CF Manuel Margot is 1-for-17 with six strikeouts in the last four contests.
3. Philadelphia 3B Maikel Franco homered in three of the last six games.