Phillies at Reds
The Philadelphia Phillies are sitting atop the National League East, but they continue to have trouble when facing bottom-tier teams away from home. The Phillies were unable to win their last two road series at Miami and the New York Mets and will need a win Sunday to earn a split of a four-game series against the last-place Cincinnati Reds.
Philadelphia, which leads Atlanta by 2 1/2 games in the division, is only 5-6 in its last 11 road games against four opponents who are each at least 11 games under .500. The Phillies dropped a 6-2 decision on Saturday despite another homer by red-hot Rhys Hoskins, who has gone deep seven times and has 13 RBIs during an eight-game hitting streak. Reds third baseman Eugenio Suárez had his five-game homer streak snapped but drove in a run for the sixth game in a row while Joey Votto collected three hits and two RBIs to power Cincinnati. The Reds will send right-hander Luis Castillo to the mound to oppose Zach Elflin, who is 6-0 over his last eight starts and hasn't lost since May 30.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, FS Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Zach Eflin (7-2, 3.41 ERA) vs. Reds RH Luis Castillo (5-8, 5.30)
Elfin kept his unbeaten streak intact despite a woeful outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers last time out, when he lasted a season-low 2 2/3 innings and was reached for three runs on five hits and three walks. He had allowed eight runs during his six start winning streak before taking a no-decision in his last outing before the All-Star break. Eflin gave up four homers in his lone start versus the Reds last year.
Castillo picked up his fifth consecutive no-decision in his first start after the All-Star break by limiting St. Louis to one run and four hits over 5 1/3 innings. He has allowed a combined seven runs over his last four turns but he has won only once in his last 10 starts. Castillo did not factor in the decision in his lone start against the Phillies, giving up three runs over six innings at Philadelphia on April 11.
WALK-OFFS
1. Hoskins is 13-for-35 with 10 runs scored during his hitting streak.
2. Reds RHP Jared Hughes earned his seventh save Saturday, three more than in his previous seven seasons combined.
3. Phillies INF Asdrubal Cabrera, acquired from the New York Mets on Friday, went 0-for-4 in his debut with the team.