Phillies at Brewers
Rhys Hoskins is starting to warm up again after a rough May, along with a stint on the disabled list, and hopes to keep it going as his Philadelphia Phillies visit the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday afternoon for the rubber match of a three-game set. Hoskins went 3-for-4 with a double and a solo homer Saturday as the Phillies recorded a 4-1 victory to even the series and improve to 4-2 in their last six outings.
The 25-year-old Hoskins batted .161 during May before missing nine games with a fractured jaw, but is 9-for-25 with three homers, two doubles and nine RBIs in seven contests since returning from the DL. Standout right-hander Aaron Nola will go for his team-leading ninth victory when he takes the mound in the series finale for Philadelphia while Milwaukee counters with Chase Anderson, who goes for back-to-back victories. The National League Central-leading Brewers saw their three-game winning streak come to an end Saturday as they managed just four singles and a double after scoring 13 times in the series opener. Lorenzo Cain was 1-for-4 in the loss for Milwaukee, but has multiple hits in seven of his last 10 games, raising his batting average from .273 to .289.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Aaron Nola (8-2, 2.27 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Chase Anderson (5-5, 4.13)
Nola has followed up his second loss of the season on May 20 with four consecutive quality starts while allowing six runs across 26 1/3 innings combined. The 25-year-old LSU product limited Colorado to one run on four hits over 6 2/3 innings last Tuesday, reaching double figures in strikeouts for the third time since May 8 with 10. Christian Yelich is 6-for-16 with a homer versus Nola, who is 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA in four career starts against Milwaukee.
Anderson held the Chicago Cubs to one hit and two walks over seven scoreless innings of a 4-0 victory last Tuesday after suffering two straight losses. The 30-year-old Texan has not given up a home run in his last three trips to the mound after serving up 13 in his first 10 appearances of 2018. Maikel Franco is 4-for-8 with a pair of homers against Anderson, who is 1-2 with a 5.85 ERA in four career contests versus the Phillies.
WALK-OFFS
1. Yelich has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games and is batting .382 with nine homers and 28 RBIs in victories this year.
2. Philadelphia placed Luis Garcia on the 10-day DL, optioned fellow RHP Mark Leiter Jr. to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and recalled RHPs Yacksel Rios and Jake Thompson.
3. Brewers INF-OF Hernan Perez is 4-for-6 the last two games with a solo home run after going 1-for-4 in the previous series against the Phillies.