Pirates at Phillies
Wednesday's offensive explosion from the Pittsburgh Pirates is looking like the outlier in an otherwise poor stretch of offense. The Pirates will try to bounce back from being shut out in a series opener and even the four-game set at one win apiece when they visit the Philadelphia Phillies for the second matchup on Friday night.
Pittsburgh bashed the Colorado Rockies 10-2 at home on Wednesday to avoid a three-game sweep but managed two hits while falling 7-0 on Thursday and scored two or fewer runs in five of the last seven games. The Pirates lineup racked up 13 strikeouts on Thursday and watched the top five hitters in the order - Adam Frazier, Gregory Polanco, Starling Marte, Josh Bell and Corey Dickerson - go a combined 0-for-17 with eight K's. The Phillies are winners of eight of their last 10 and improved to 6-1 at home with Thursday's triumph, which featured new ace Jake Arrieta tossing seven dominant innings. Righty Ben Lively will try to follow up his teammate's performance against the struggling Pittsburgh attack while veteran Ivan Nova toes the rubber for the Pirates.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NBCS-plus (Philadelphia)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Ivan Nova (2-1, 4.88 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Ben Lively (0-1, 5.87)
Nova posted his second straight quality start and second consecutive win when he held the Miami Marlins to three runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings on Sunday. The Dominican Republic native struck out a season-high nine in that outing and owns 15 without walking a batter over his last two turns. Nova went 1-1 with a 4.73 ERA in a pair of starts against Philadelphia in 2017 while notching four strikeouts in 13 1/3 total frames.
Lively has yet to complete six innings through three starts this season and was bounced after four frames at Tampa Bay on Sunday. The 26-year-old owns 17 strikeouts and three walks over 15 1/3 total innings but surrendered a home run in each of his last two outings. Lively faced Pittsburgh once during his 2017 rookie campaign and absorbed the loss while allowing four runs - two earned - in four innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pirates RHP Joe Musgrove (shoulder) threw a bullpen session on Thursday and is scheduled for another on Sunday.
2. Phillies 2B Cesar Hernandez recorded multiple hits in two of the last three games and drove in three runs on Thursday.
3. Philadelphia RHP Victor Arano has yet to allow a hit or walk a batter in 8 1/3 scoreless innings to begin the season, spread over seven appearances.