Phillies at Diamondbacks
Vince Velasquez will bid to follow up his memorable cameo in left field with a strong performance on the mound Monday as the Philadelphia Phillies begin a seven-game trek with the opener of a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The right-hander fired a strike to the plate from the outfield to throw out a runner in the 14th inning before making a tumbling catch in the 15th on Friday.
Philadelphia lost that game as well as a 10-5 decision in the rubber match to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday to fall to 4-5 in its last nine contests. A lack of production has played a significant role for the Phillies, who have mustered three runs or fewer in 11 games since the All-Star break as they cling to a share of the final wild-card spot in the National League. Philadelphia sits just 2 1/2 games ahead of Arizona, which captured its second straight home series on Sunday after Adam Jones erupted for three hits and four RBIs in a 7-5 win versus Washington. Ketel Marte also collected three hits in that contest and went 8-for-14 with two solo homers and three runs scored as the Diamondbacks won two of three from the Phillies on June 10-12.
TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, FS Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Vince Velasquez (3-6, 4.40 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Merrill Kelly (7-11, 4.52)
When he's not playing the outfield, Velasquez has answered a trio of four-run performances in a five-game stretch by splitting a pair of decisions in his last two trips to the mound. The 27-year-old sustained a hard-luck loss on Wednesday despite allowing two runs on four hits in five innings of a 5-1 setback against San Francisco. Velasquez, who owns a 1-2 mark with a 3.93 ERA in six career appearances (three starts) versus the Diamondbacks, allowed a hit in one scoreless inning of relief against Arizona on June 12.
Kelly has been gouged for seven runs in back-to-back outings to fall to 0-5 in his last eight trips to the mound. The 30-year-old followed up a three-homer performance against Baltimore on July 23 by being taken deep twice six days later in an 11-6 setback at Miami. Kelly last tasted victory on June 12 at Philadelphia, against which he scattered three hits and struck out five over 7 2/3 innings of a 2-0 win.
WALK-OFFS
1. Arizona 3B Eduardo Escobar went 5-for-12 with two homers, six RBIs and four runs scored in the previous series against Philadelphia.
2. Phillies IF/OF Scott Kingery had three homers, five RBIs and four runs scored against his hometown team in June.
3. Diamondbacks 1B Christian Walker is 6-for-15 with a homer, two RBIs and five runs scored in his last five games.