Dodgers at Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies overcame a lopsided loss in the series opener and a blown save opportunity in the following game with a stirring ninth-inning rally to even their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Phillies hope that spark lights a fire as they host the Dodgers in the third contest of the four-game set on Wednesday.
Bryce Harper belted a three-run homer before sending what was left of the Citizens Bank Park faithful into a frenzy with a game-ending two-run double in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 9-8 victory. The 2015 National League Most Valuable Player has recorded back-to-back multi-hit performances and four in his last six games for Philadelphia, which has sandwiched walk-off wins around a disastrous 16-2 shellacking in the series opener. Los Angeles' Cody Bellinger has homered three times in the series and teammate Max Muncy also went deep in his second straight contest. Bellinger (9-for-21), who leads the majors with 34 homers, and Muncy (8-for-18, three homers, six RBIs, eight runs scored) have been a thorn in the side of the Phillies this season.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), NBCS Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Kenta Maeda (7-6, 3.82 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Nick Pivetta (4-4, 5.81)
Maeda fell to 0-4 in his last seven trips to the mound on Friday after allowing three runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings of an 8-1 setback at Boston. The 31-year-old Japan native has been taken deep twice in each of his last two outings to raise his season home run total to 16, which is three more than his sum over 39 appearances in 2018. Maeda's last win came on May 31 after permitting two runs on three hits in six innings of a 6-3 victory versus Philadelphia.
Pivetta dropped to 0-3 with a 6.99 ERA in his last five starts on Friday after yielding three runs on six hits over five innings of a 4-0 loss against Washington. The 26-year-old British Columbian turned in his best start of the season versus Los Angeles on June 2, as he scattered three hits and struck out nine over six scoreless innings of a no-decision. Justin Turner is 3-for-6 with two extra-base hits (homer, double) against Pivetta, who is 4-2 in eight home starts as opposed to 0-2 in four trips to the mound on the road.
WALK-OFFS
1. Los Angeles has belted nine homers in the first two contests of this series.
2. Phillies CF Scott Kingery has homered in back-to-back games to improve to 8-for-21 versus the Dodgers this season.
3. Los Angeles 1B-LF Joc Pederson is 6-for-18 with three homers, six RBIs and five runs scored against Philadelphia in 2019.