Nationals at Phillies
Slugger Rhys Hoskins will try to keep his hot streak going when he leads the Philadelphia Phillies into the second game of a three-game series with the visiting Washington Nationals on Saturday. Hoskins clubbed a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift the Phillies to a 4-2 win in the series opener Friday night.
The 26-year-old has five home runs in his last 10 games, is batting .421 during a six-game hitting streak and has at least one RBI in five consecutive contests. Jean Segura also homered Friday and is 7-for-16 over a four-game stretch for Philadelphia, which improved to 13-6 at home. The Nationals managed six hits in the opener of a 10-game road trip - their longest of the season - while losing for the seventh time in their last nine games. They'll try to snap out of the funk Saturday behind left-hander Patrick Corbin, who opposes Jake Arrieta for the Phillies.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), NBCS Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals LH Patrick Corbin (2-1, 3.58 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Jake Arrieta (4-2, 3.46)
Corbin began his career as a National with five straight quality starts while posting a 2.48 ERA before he finally hit a rough patch Monday against St. Louis. The Cardinals got to the 29-year-old southpaw for six runs in five innings while drawing four walks. Segura is 5-for-8 with a double and a walk against Corbin, who has given up 13 runs (10 earned) in 11 1/3 frames over his only two career starts at Citizens Bank Park.
Like Corbin, Arrieta is coming off his worst start of the year after giving up five runs and nine hits in five innings in a victory against Miami last Saturday. The former Cy Young Award winner has a 5.26 ERA in 13 career starts against Washington, his second-highest mark against a National League opponent, while walking 34 batters in 65 innings. Juan Soto is 3-for-6 with two homers and a double against Arrieta.
WALK-OFFS
1. Soto (back) has missed the last three games but is expected back this weekend.
2. Nationals 2B/3B Howie Kendrick is 7-for-14 during a four-game hitting streak.
3. Phillies LHP Adam Morgan has thrown 12 2/3 scoreless innings on the year after working one frame Friday night.