Giants at Phillies
Rhys Hoskins is finishing the month of July with a flourish, and the slugger's hot bat has the Philadelphia Phillies tied for the second wild-card spot in the National League. Winners of five of their last seven games, the Phillies bid for a series victory on Wednesday night when they host the San Francisco Giants.
Hoskins went deep in his second straight game and increased his team-leading total to 23 homers on Tuesday after crushing a two-run shot in the fifth inning of Philadelphia's 4-2 win over San Francisco. The 26-year-old Sacramento native has nine hits -- including three homers -- to go along with seven RBIs and four runs scored in his last seven contests. Brandon Belt launched a pinch-hit solo homer in the eighth inning to snap an 0-for-17 slump, but the Giants fell for just the sixth time in 25 games to sit 2 1/2 games off the pace in the wild-card race. Manager Bruce Bochy told reporters that the 31-year-old Belt would return to the starting lineup for Wednesday's game versus right-hander Vince Velasquez, against whom he's 0-for-5 in his career.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), NBCS Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Jeff Samardzija (7-8, 3.95 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Vince Velasquez (3-5, 4.46)
Samardzija looks to finish the month on a high note after posting a 3-1 mark with a 2.48 ERA in five starts in July. The 34-year-old received a no-decision in his last outing on Friday after allowing one run on four hits in six innings at San Diego. Bryce Harper (3-for-18) and J.T. Realmuto (2-for-11) have struggled against Samardzija, who sports a 2-5 record with a bloated 8.51 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in 12 career appearances (six starts) versus Philadelphia.
Velasquez posted his first win in two months last Wednesday after scattering four hits and striking out nine batters in 5 2/3 innings of a 4-0 victory at Detroit. The 27-year-old had permitted four earned runs in three of his previous five outings, during which he owned an 0-2 mark. Velasquez has yet to secure a win in seven appearances (four starts) at Citizens Bank Park this season despite limiting the opposition to a .226 batting average.
WALK-OFFS
1. San Francisco SS Brandon Crawford is 2-for-17 in his last five games.
2. Phillies rookie OF Adam Haseley had two hits in the series opener to boost his total to seven in his last four contests.
3. San Francisco plans to push back rookie RHP Shaun Anderson, with RHP Dereck Rodriguez and LHP Conner Menez likely candidates to be called up from Triple-A Sacramento for Thursday's series finale.