Braves at Phillies
Home has been very good for the Philadelphia Phillies, who have won 17 of their 23 games at Citizens Bank Park this season entering Tuesday’s contest against the visiting Atlanta Braves. The Phillies captured the opener of a three-game series Monday in a matchup between the top two teams in the National League East, winning 3-0 to pull within one-half game of the division-leading Braves and improve their record at home since Sept. 12 last season to 28-11.
This week’s matchup represents the fourth series between the two biggest surprises in the National League in the season’s opening eight weeks, and much-improved pitching for both teams is a big reason why Atlanta and Philadelphia sit at or near the top of the division a week before Memorial Day. That good work on the mound was on display in the series opener, as Phillies starter Nick Pivetta gave up four hits in seven shutout innings and Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz allowed just one run on six hits in six innings. The series began with the top two hitters in the NL on the same field, as Philadelphia center fielder Odubel Herrera finished 2-for-4 to raise his average to a league-leading .348 and Atlanta right fielder Nick Markakis went 1-for-4 to give him the second-best average in the league at .341. The Braves have defeated the Phillies six times in 10 meetings in 2018, but after this series the two teams will not meet again until Sept. 20 in Atlanta.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), NBCS Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Brandon McCarthy (4-2, 5.05 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Vince Velasquez (4-4, 4.37)
Arguably the Braves best starter through the first four weeks of the season, McCarthy rebounded after two ugly starts kicked off May. The 34-year-old, who allowed 14 runs on 23 hits in just 8 1/3 innings during losses to San Francisco and Miami, held the Chicago Cubs to one run on five hits with eight strikeouts over six innings Wednesday. Three of McCarthy’s four victories this season have come against the Phillies, logging a 2.25 ERA in three starts with 17 strikeouts in 16 innings.
Velasquez ended April with three consecutive losses, but has bounced back with three wins in a row to begin May. The 25-year-old has allowed only four earned runs on 11 hits across those three starts, striking out 21 in 17 1/3 innings - including a season-high 12 in six innings on May 10 against San Francisco. Velasquez has lost all three of his starts against Atlanta in 2018, posting a 9.24 ERA with 13 earned runs surrendered in 12 2/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Philadelphia OF-INF Scott Kingery is 3-for-7 with two doubles and a walk against McCarthy, while Markakis is 6-for-16 with a double and two walks against Velasquez.
2. Atlanta has not scored in two of its past four contests, after being shut out just once in its first 42 games.
3. Phillies RHP Jerad Eickhoff, out all season with a strained right lat muscle, left Sunday’s rehab start with Triple-A Lehigh Valley after feeling a twinge in a couple of fingers on his right hand.