Braves at Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are playing better of late and continue to ride a power surge entering the middle contest of a three-game home series against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday. The Phillies blasted the Braves in Friday’s series opener 10-3, slugging four home runs – their 29th in 22 games this month – including three in the fifth inning from Aaron Altherr, Cameron Rupp and Tommy Joseph as Philadelphia won for the seventh time in 11 games.
One game after Rupp recorded the first multi-homer game of his career with two long balls against Houston, he belted his fourth homer in the past five games as the Phillies scored five runs or more for the ninth time in their past 11 contests. The Braves have lost five of their past six games and eight of 11 overall. Julio Teheran was knocked out in the fifth inning in the series opener, the third time in the past four games an Atlanta starter has failed to pitch five innings. Catcher Kurt Suzuki homered in the seventh inning, his seventh in nine games this month.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN South (Atlanta), NBC 10 (Philadelphia)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Sean Newcomb (1-5, 4.81 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Jerad Eickhoff (2-7, 4.71)
Newcomb set a career high for strikeouts (nine) in his eighth career outing Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but also set a mark for most walks (five) in drawing a no-decision. After starting his career with four impressive starts, the 24-year-old has struggled in four July outings, posting a 9.16 ERA while walking 14 in 18 2/3 innings – after issuing only eight walks in 24 1/3 innings in his first four starts. Opponents are hitting .350 on the first pitch against Newcomb.
Eickhoff has struggled one season after winning 11 games, going 0-7 through the first three months of 2017 and missing three weeks with a back injury before winning twice in three July starts. He beat the Padres in his first start off the disabled list July 9 with five scoreless innings, and held Milwaukee to two runs on three hits with six strikeouts in six innings Sunday. Eickhoff faced the Braves twice earlier this season, going 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA in 10 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Philadelphia, which leads the season series 6-2 and has won eight of the past 11 meetings with Atlanta at home, traded INF/OF Howie Kendrick to Washington after Friday's game, according to multiple reports.
2. Atlanta LF Matt Kemp left Friday’s game in the fourth inning with a right hamstring strain.
3. Altherr finished with two homers in the series opener, and has belted four in seven games against the Braves this season.