Milwaukee @ Philadelphia preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 24, 2016 ) Philadelphia 5, Milwaukee 8

A changing of the guard could be underway in Philadelphia, with longtime first baseman Ryan Howard relegated to the bench as the sliding Phillies open a four-game series against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night. Howard received word Wednesday that he would be benched for at least three games in favor of Tommy Joseph.

Howard is batting .154 on the season and was a miserable 7-for-69 (.101) during the month of May for Philadelphia, which has lost six in a row to drop below .500 for the first time since April 24. The Philles are coming off a three-game sweep by Washington and have scored 11 runs during their six-game skid. The Brewers averted a sweep by nemesis St. Louis with a 3-1 victory in Wednesday's series finale to post their sixth win in nine games. Ryan Braun, who has been in and out of the lineup for much of the past 2 1/2 weeks, had an RBI double Tuesday and a two-run single Wednesday.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), CSN Philadelphia

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Chase Anderson (2-6, 5.00 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Jerad Eickhoff (2-7, 4.07)

Anderson was on his way to his best start since his season debut last time out versus Cincinnati, allowing one run over five innings before he was removed from the game after getting plunked by a pitch. It was the fourth straight start in which Anderson allowed three earned runs or fewer, although he was 1-6 in his previous seven turns. He gave up six runs over four innings versus the Phillies on April 23 to fall to 0-2 with a 7.53 ERA in three starts against them.

Eickhoff gave up more than three earned runs for the second time in 10 starts, allowing four runs over six innings in a loss to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. His worst start of the year came in Milwaukee on April 24, when he was pummeled for seven runs on nine hits and surrendered a pair of homers over 5 1/3 innings. The 25-year-old Eickhoff has pitched markedly better at Citizens Bank Park, logging a 2-2 record and 2.18 ERA in five starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Phillies LF Cody Asche (oblique), on the disabled list the entire season, is expected to be activated Thursday.

2. Brewers C Jonathan Lucroy has hit safely in five straight games, going 9-for-17 with two homers and 11 RBIs.

3. Philadelphia acquired INF Jimmy Paredes from Toronto and designated INF Emmanuel Burriss for assignment.

PREDICTION: Brewers 5, Phillies 4