Phillies at Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals look to build on one of their best offensive showings of the season when they continue a four-game series against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. The Cardinals pounded out 15 hits, including three homers, in a 12-4 win Friday to even the series at a game apiece.
It marked only the second time all season the Cardinals have scored in double digits. St. Louis had scored three or fewer runs in seven of its previous nine games. It was Philadelphia’s first loss in nine games against National League Central opponents and just the Phillies’ second defeat in their last nine games overall. The Phillies have homered in 13 straight games, while utility infielder Pedro Florimon has gone deep in consecutive games for his first big-league homers since 2013.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, FS Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Zach Eflin (1-0, 0.71 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH John Gant (1-1, 4.15)
Eflin has been outstanding in his first two big-league starts of the season, allowing one run and seven hits over 12 2/3 innings. The 24-year-old struck out nine in 6 2/3 scoreless frames to beat San Francisco on May 7 before having his last turn in the rotation skipped. Eflin, who is allowing opponents to bat only .159, has never faced the Cardinals.
Gant will make a spot start in place of injured ace Carlos Martinez. The Georgia native has made three relief appearances and one start this season, allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings in a loss to Minnesota on May 7 in his only turn. Maikel Franco is 3-for-3 with two doubles versus Gant, who is 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two games (one start) against the Phillies.
WALK-OFFS
1. Phillies CF Odubel Herrera has reached base in 44 consecutive games dating to last season - 12 shy of Mike Schmidt’s franchise record - and has a nine-game hitting streak against the Cardinals.
2. The Cardinals on Friday placed SS Paul DeJong (broken left hand) and RHP Matt Bowman (blisters) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled INF Yairo Munoz and OF Tyler O’Neill from Triple-A Memphis.
3. Philadelphia C Jorge Alfaro left Friday’s game with right knee soreness after sliding into the backstop wall retrieving a wild pitch.