Phillies at Padres
The Philadelphia Phillies are letting their lead in the National League East slip away and look to move back in a positive direction when they visit the struggling San Diego Padres on Monday for the opener of a three-game set. The Phillies were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend, capped by an 8-0 setback, and acquired veteran outfielder Jay Bruce to add some punch to their bench Sunday.
“I get to go somewhere I have a chance to win, and at this point in my career, that’s pretty paramount for me,” Bruce, who was batting .212 with 14 homers with Seattle, told mlb.com. “. … I look forward to going over there and helping the Phillies hopefully win a championship. That’s my goal. I just want to win.” Philadelphia (33-26) leads Atlanta by one game in the NL East and hopes to halt a four-game losing streak when it sends right-hander Aaron Nola to the mound seeking to win his eighth consecutive decision dating to the last start of 2018 while San Diego counters with lefty Eric Lauer. The Padres (30-29) have given up 46 runs while going 2-5 in their last seven contests after falling 9-3 for the second straight outing Sunday against the Miami Marlins - a game delayed 28 minutes by a swarm of bees. Hunter Renfroe provided all of the offense with two homers in the latest loss for San Diego and is 4-for-9 with three blasts and four RBIs in the past three games while teammate Manny Machado is mired in a 0-for-12 slump with six strikeouts.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Aaron Nola (6-0, 4.18 ERA) vs. Padres LH Eric Lauer (4-4, 4.45)
Nola was 4-0 with a 2.73 ERA in May and the Phillies earned the victory in all six of his starts after they were losers in four of the 25-year-old’s five outings during April. The LSU product limited St. Louis to one run on four hits over seven innings with eight strikeouts Wednesday to win his third straight start and seventh in a row, dating back to 2018. Renfroe is 3-for-5 with two doubles versus Nola, who blanked the Padres over six innings in a win last year.
Lauer has won his last two starts in impressive fashion while permitting two runs on eight hits over 12 1/3 innings combined with 11 strikeouts and zero walks. The 23-year-old Kent State product, who had gone six starts without a win before the last two, has been much better at home (2-2, 2.67 ERA) than on the road (2-2, 6.84). The 2016 first-round pick has walked only 14 batters across 58 2/3 innings as he prepares to face the Phillies for the first time.
WALK-OFFS
1. San Diego 1B Eric Hosmer was 0-for-3 with a walk Sunday, ending a 10-game hitting streak (15-for-40).
2. Philadelphia RF Bryce Harper was hitless in four at-bats Sunday, but is 10-for-24 with two homers and nine RBIs in his last six games.
3. Padres C Austin Hedges is 0-for-10 with eight strikeouts over his last four contests, dropping his average to .187.