Phillies at Reds
The Philadelphia Phillies can use every last bit of help they can get in their pursuit of a wild-card spot in the National League, and the schedule may have provided them some. The Phillies hope to take advantage of what should be a weary opponent Monday when they begin a seven-game road trip with the first of four contests in Cincinnati against the Reds.
Philadelphia moved 2 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs for the second wild card Sunday, avoiding a three-game sweep following its 5-2 win over the New York Mets when Scott Kingery broke open a tie game in the eighth inning with a bases-clearing double. The Phillies are only 23-22 since the All-Star break and have struggled to string wins together, doing so only twice in the last month (four straight victories from Aug. 13-16 and a two-game sweep of Boston a week later). Cincinnati was able to avoid a four-game sweep in St. Louis with a 5-3 victory in the series finale, finally holding a two-run lead after failing to do so in each of the previous three games of the set. The Reds were forced to play the series in the span of just over 30 hours due to a postponement on Friday, resulting in back-to-back doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, FS Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies LH Drew Smyly (2-6, 6.95 ERA) vs. Reds RH Anthony DeSclafani (9-7, 4.05)
Smyly's month-long struggles continued in his fourth straight no-decision Tuesday against Pittsburgh, as he surrendered four runs - including a pair of homers - over 5 2/3 innings. The Arkansas native allowed one run in his first 13 frames after joining the Phillies on July 21, but he is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA and has given up nine homers over 25 innings in his five starts since. Nick Senzel homered in his only at-bat against Smyly, who allowed one run over three innings of relief against the Reds on June 14 while with Texas.
DeSclafani is enjoying one of the better stretches of his career over the last two-plus weeks, going 2-0 while permitting a total of two runs and 12 hits over his last 18 innings. The 29-year-old fired seven scoreless frames in a win at Miami on Wednesday after holding Pittsburgh and St. Louis to one run apiece in his previous two outings. Bryce Harper (4-for-11) and Rhys Hoskins (2-for-3) have each fared well versus DeSclafani, who is 3-1 with a 5.40 ERA in five career appearances (four starts) against Philadelphia.
WALK-OFFS
1. Harper singled in four at-bats Sunday, remaining one homer and three RBIs shy of his second career 30/100 season and the first by a Phillie since Ryan Howard since 2011.
2. Cincinnati OF Aristides Aquino finished the St. Louis series 1-for-11 after setting a major-league record by belting 14 homers over his first 27 career games.
3. Philadelphia C J.T. Realmuto has thrown out 40 base-runners attempting to steal this season - 18 more than any other backstop.