Giants at Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies had flustered the San Francisco Giants in their previous seven outings at Citizens Bank Park before the visitors returned the favor on Wednesday to even their series at one victory apiece. After snapping a seven-game skid in Philadelphia, the Giants vie for a series victory on Thursday afternoon when the clubs wrap up their three-game set.
Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval belted back-to-back homers and Kevin Pillar also went deep to highlight a five-run sixth inning as San Francisco recorded a 5-1 win to post its 19th win in 25 games during July. Pillar and Posey collected 25 and 21 hits, respectively, in the month while Sandoval has three homers in his last seven games for the Giants, who had been outscored 50-20 while losing their previous seven contests in Philadelphia. Surrendering homers has been an all-too-familiar refrain for the Phillies, who have yielded a National League-worst 181 on the season and three or more in a game a staggering 27 times. Jean Segura aims to continue his torrid play as he is 5-for-9 in the series and 11-for-20 during his five-game hitting streak.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), NBCS Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Dereck Rodriguez (4-5, 4.99 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Jake Arrieta (8-8, 4.51)
Rodriguez was scratched from his scheduled start with Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday and summoned to Philadelphia for the series finale. The 27-year-old fared well in his last outing with the Giants on July 15, allowing one run on four hits while striking out six in five innings of a 2-1 victory at Colorado. Rodriguez will be making his second career appearance versus the Phillies, against whom he permitted one run on five hits in six innings of a 6-1 victory on June 3, 2018.
Arrieta, who has been plagued by a bone spurs in his pitching elbow, fell to 0-2 in his last four starts on Friday after his outing against Atlanta went south in the fifth inning. "The movement, the action, the velocity the first four were as good as it's been all year. Things compounded quickly in the fifth," said the 2015 NL Cy Young Award recipient, who exited the 9-2 setback after allowing five runs on as many hits. Brandon Belt (0-for-10, seven strikeouts), Posey (2-for-21) and Brandon Crawford (3-for-19, eight strikeouts) have struggled against Arrieta, who sports a 5-3 mark with a 2.60 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in eight career starts versus San Francisco.
WALK-OFFS
1. Philadelphia's Corey Dickerson, who was acquired from Pittsburgh on Wednesday, could be slotted as his new team's leadoff hitter in place of fellow OF Scott Kingery.
2. San Francisco was quite busy at the trade deadline, acquiring former All-Star 2B Scooter Gennett from Cincinnati while sending RHP Mark Melancon to Atlanta, LHP Drew Pomeranz to Milwaukee and RHP Sam Dyson to Minnesota.
3. Phillies RHP Hector Neris is expected to drop his appeal and begin serving his three-game suspension for throwing at Los Angeles Dodgers 1B David Freese on July 16, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.