Philadelphia @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 8, 2016 ) Philadelphia 4, LA Dodgers 9

In a season when the Los Angeles Dodgers have placed a total of 26 players on the disabled list, rookie shortstop Corey Seager has emerged as their most reliable and dangerous offensive threat. The 22-year-old looks to continue his extended hot streak Tuesday as the Dodgers seek their fourth straight win against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies.

Seager belted two homers in Monday’s series-opening 9-4 win and is batting .326 with nine doubles, four home runs, and 13 RBI over his last 20 games. Seager has taken a commanding lead in the National League rookie of the year race with 21 home runs while serving an invaluable role atop the batting order for Los Angeles, which trails San Francisco by one game in the NL West and leads the wild-card race by four games. Philadelphia has struggled over the last two months but may have found their right fielder of the future in Aaron Altherr, who missed the season’s first 103 games with a wrist injury but has provided surprising pop from the second spot in the order. Altherr is expected to receive regular playing time even after Peter Bourjos (shoulder) returns to join a crowded outfield later this week.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Vince Velasquez (8-3, 3.33 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Kenta Maeda (10-7, 3.22)

Velasquez left his start Thursday against San Francisco after throwing 93 pitches and developing a blister on his right middle finger. The Los Angeles-area native is making his first start against the Dodgers and hopes to improve his control after walking a total of 17 batters in his last six starts covering 36 innings. “My secondary pitches are just brutal right now,” Velasquez told MLB.com. “I’ve got to sharpen up a lot of stuff before my next start because the Dodgers are an ecstatic team. Those guys just rake.”

Maeda earned the win Thursday at Coors Field by holding Colorado to two runs on four hits without a walk over 5 2/3 innings. The 28-year-old rookie would like to pitch deep into the game in his first appearance against Philadelphia after working past the sixth inning just twice in his last eight starts. Maeda leads the Dodgers in wins and has gone 3-5 with a 3.17 ERA in 11 home starts with 69 strikeouts against 18 walks.

WALK-OFFS

1. Dodgers C Yasmani Grandal is hitting .349 with 11 home runs over his last 27 games.

2. Tommy Joseph’s 15 home runs are the most by a Phillies rookie since Ryan Howard in 2005.

3. The Dodgers placed RHP Joe Blanton on the bereavement leave list and recalled RHP Josh Ravin from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 6, Phillies 3