Marlins at Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies look to win back-to-back games for the first time this season when they host the National League East-rival Miami Marlins on Saturday for the second of a three-game set. The Phillies, who lost four of the first five games on the road, enjoyed their home opener Thursday as Maikel Franco snapped out of an early slump with a triple, a homer and four RBIs in a 5-0 victory over the Marlins.
Franco was 1-for-11 before busting out Thursday and last year’s rookie phenom Rhys Hoskins has reached base in all six games while going 8-for-20 with a homer and three RBIs in the early going for Philadelphia. Vince Velasquez will try to rebound from a rough season debut when he takes the ball for the Phillies on Saturday against Miami’s Dillon Peters, who was outstanding in his first start of the campaign. The Marlins played two of the major league’s best teams to start the season at home, going 2-4 against the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, but managed just four hits in their first road contest Thursday. Second baseman Starlin Castro (10-for-32, four RBIs) and third baseman Brian Anderson (9-for-28, homer, team-high six RBIs) have each hit safely in the first seven games for Miami.
TV: 6:05 p.m. ET, FS Florida, NBCS Philadelphia Plus
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Dillon Peters (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Vince Velasquez (0-1, 13.50)
Peters allowed six hits over six scoreless innings in the 6-0 victory over the Cubs on Sunday, walking just one and striking out a pair of batters. The 25-year-old University of Texas product walked 19 in just 31 1/3 innings over six starts (1-2) last season and was 0-1 with a 9.88 ERA in three road outings during 2017. Odubel Herrera is 3-for-4 against Peters, who limited Philadelphia to two runs and nine hits with 12 strikeouts over 13 innings without getting a decision last year.
Velasquez gave up seven runs (four earned) and nine hits over 2 2/3 innings of a 15-2 setback against Atlanta, extending his winless streak to 11 starts (0-6). The 25-year-old Californian was 1-5 with a 6.10 ERA at home last season and gave up 10 of the 15 homers he surrendered overall at Citizens Bank Park. Cameron Maybin - batting .320 in his first season with Miami - is 2-for-2 against Velasquez, who has had success against the Marlins while going 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA in six appearances.
WALK-OFFS
1. Anderson can tie Hanley Ramirez and Alejandro De Aza (eight) for the longest hitting streak to open a season by a Marlins rookie.
2. Philadelphia SS J.P. Crawford is off to a slow start, going 1-for-19 with six strikeouts.
3. Miami placed 1B-OF Garrett Cooper (wrist) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled OF Braxton Lee.