Philadelphia Phillies vs. San Diego Padres Preview and Predictions 08-10-2018 in MLB
MLB Previews 9th August 2018 by Gracenote
Phillies vs. Padres Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 08/09/2018
The Philadelphia Phillies are clinging to first place in the National League East but are not off to a great start on their road trip. The Phillies will try to turn the page when they continue the trip by visiting the last-place San Diego Padres in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.
Philadelphia, which enters the weekend one game up on the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, dropped two of three at NL West-leading Arizona to begin the trip, capped by a 6-0 loss in Wednesday's series finale. "We know how to turn the page. We don't let losses linger," Phillies manager Gabe Kapler told reporters. "You're going to go into a city like Phoenix against a very good team, and sometimes, you're going to win the series and there are going to be times where they just play better. Over the course of this series, they played better than us. It's part of baseball. But we will not carry that into San Diego. We will bring strength and enthusiasm and our brand of baseball to San Diego. I'm very confident we're going to perform well there." The Padres may be sitting in the NL West basement but are coming in hot after capping their road trip with an 8-4 win at Milwaukee on Thursday that featured a go-ahead grand slam in the ninth inning by Hunter Renfroe, who homered in each of the last four games. Renfroe will try to stay hot behind right-hander Jacob Nix, who is set to make his major-league debut on Friday opposite Phillies righty Zach Eflin.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Zach Eflin (8-3, 3.61 ERA) vs. Padres RH Jacob Nix (NR)
Eflin worked a season-high eight innings in a win over the Miami Marlins on Saturday, surrendering three runs and four hits without walking a batter. The 24-year-old surrendered a pair of home runs in that start and was reached for a total of six blasts in his last three turns. Eflin is seeing San Diego for the first time in his career and is 3-2 with a 4.01 ERA in eight starts on the road in 2018.
Nix is getting the call after going 3-3 with a 1.84 ERA in 10 starts split between Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso. The 22-year-old was a third-round pick out of high school in 2015 and reached Double-A in 2017 before dominating the upper levels of the minors in 2018. Nix owns 44 strikeouts and nine walks across 58 2/3 total innings this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Phillies RF Nick Williams went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts on Wednesday and totaled seven K's in the three games at Arizona.
2. San Diego RF Franmil Reyes is 9-for-15 with three homers, six runs scored and five RBIs in his last four games.
3. Philadelphia INF Scott Kingery is 0-for-20 in his last nine games, dropping his batting average to .223.
PREDICTION: Phillies 6, Padres 3
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Pittsburgh Pirates vs. San Francisco Giants Preview and Predictions 08-10-2018 in MLB
MLB Previews 10th August 2018 by Gracenote
Pirates vs. Giants Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 08/10/2018
The Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants are streaking in opposite directions as they attempt to remain in postseason contention. Pittsburgh seeks its fourth straight victory when it visits San Francisco on Friday for the second contest of their four-game series.
Elias Diaz and Josh Bell hit back-to-back homers in the second inning while David Freese added a three-run shot -- the 100th home run of his career -- during a five-run seventh for the Pirates, who are four games back in the National League wild-card race after posting a 10-5 victory in the series opener. Bell has driven in a run in each of his two contests since returning from a stint on the disabled list Wednesday. Joe Panik and Steven Duggar recorded two RBIs apiece in Thursday's loss, which was San Francisco's third in a row and fifth in six contests - putting it seven games out of a wild-card spot. Panik had gone 12 contests without plating a run after a stretch during which he notched two RBIs in three straight games.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Clay Holmes (1-1, 3.65 ERA) vs. Giants LH Derek Holland (5-8, 3.88)
Holmes is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to make his fifth career appearance and third start. The 25-year-old rookie from Alabama made his major-league debut April 6, a two-inning relief outing against Cincinnati in which he allowed one run, and came out of the bullpen again June 24 before making a pair of starts last month. Holmes recorded his first victory in his last turn July 14, when he scattered four hits over six scoreless frames versus Milwaukee.
Holland will be making his fourth straight start following a stretch in the bullpen but first at home since July 10, when he took the loss against the Chicago Cubs despite giving up one run in 6 1/3 innings. The 31-year-old native of Ohio has allowed two runs in each of his last three turns but did not factor in the decision in any of the contests. Holland notched the win in his first career start against the Pirates on May 13 as he worked 6 1/3 scoreless frames in Pittsburgh despite yielding four hits and five walks.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pirates 2B-OF Adam Frazier has recorded back-to-back three-hit performances and three in his last six contests.
2. San Francisco INF-OF Alen Hanson has tripled in each of his last two games to double his season total.
3. Trevor Williams will start for Pittsburgh on Saturday while fellow RHP Joe Musgrove takes the mound for the series finale a day later.
PREDICTION: Giants 4, Pirates 2
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