Braves at Phillies (Game 1)
The Philadelphia Phillies get an extra opportunity Wednesday to continue beating up on the Atlanta Braves as they host a doubleheader after Tuesday’s scheduled contest was postponed due to rain. The rainout provided the Braves a one-day reprieve to try and figure out some way to beat their National League East rivals, who have defeated Atlanta in all eight meetings at Citizens Bank Park this season and 12 of their 14 overall matchups.
Philadelphia rookie Rhys Hoskins saw his home-run streak snapped at five games in Monday’s series-opening 6-1 victory but provided a go-ahead RBI double. The top of the Phillies’ lineup has feasted on Atlanta pitching this year, as leadoff hitter Cesar Hernandez is batting .333 while Freddy Galvis owns a .321 average. Atlanta is a major league-worst 12-27 since reaching .500 on July 17, thanks to a pitching staff that has allowed 55 home runs and 152 walks while posting a 5.18 ERA in that stretch. Brandon Phillips enters the doubleheader one hit shy of 2,000 for his career and looks to extend his hitting streak to 14 games.
TV: 12:05 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), NBC 10 (Philadelphia)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH R.A. Dickey (8-8, 4.06 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Jerad Eickhoff (4-7, 4.36)
The 42-year-old Dickey, who indicated last weekend he is considering retirement after the season, has provided Atlanta's rotation with veteran stability while making 25 starts. He came away with a no-decision Sunday against Seattle after allowing four runs and 11 hits in six innings. Dickey, who opened the month with back-to-back victories over Miami and St. Louis, is 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA in two turns against the Phillies this season.
Eickhoff has been pitching well of late, going 4-0 with a 3.47 ERA in nine starts since July 1 after beginning the year 0-7 with a 4.93 ERA in 14 turns. The 27-year-old is 1-1 in four outings against Atlanta this season, posting a 2.91 ERA with six walks and 20 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings. Eickhoff, who held the Braves to two runs on Aug. 9 in Atlanta, limited the Cubs to one run and five hits over five frames for a victory on Friday.
WALK-OFFS
1. Braves CF Ender Inciarte has hit safely in 25 of his last 30 games, and his 164 hits this season ranked third in the majors entering Tuesday’s action.
2. Atlanta SS Dansby Swanson is batting .367 over his last 17 contests.
3. Hoskins drove in his 25th run of the season in his 19th career game on Monday, the second-fewest amount of contests needed to reach 25 RBIs among players making their debut since the statistic became official in 1920.