Philadelphia @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2015 ) Philadelphia 2, Boston 9

The Philadelphia Phillies’ young starting pitchers are having a hard time controlling the Boston Red Sox’s young hitters. The Phillies will give another rookie starter a shot when they try to avoid a three-game sweep at the Red Sox on Sunday.

Adam Morgan and Alec Asher took turns getting knocked around in the first two games of the series and fellow rookie Jerad Eickhoff gets his turn on Sunday opposite Boston rookie Eduardo Rodriguez. Morgan, Asher and the rest of the Philadelphia staff have struggled retiring Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts as the Red Sox put up 16 runs in the first two games of the series. Those three 25-and-under stars have combined to go 11-for-23 with 10 RBIs and nine runs this weekend. The Phillies, who have allowed at least seven runs in four straight games and five of the last six, dropped to 23-48 on the road with Saturday’s 9-2 setback.

TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Jerad Eickhoff (1-2, 2.84 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (8-5, 4.25)

Eickhoff put together his third quality start in as many turns at the major-league level on Monday at New York, holding the Mets to three runs on four hits and a pair of walks in seven innings. The 25-year-old absorbed the loss in a 3-1 defeat – his second consecutive setback. Eickhoff has 15 strikeouts against four walks in 19 total innings.
Rodriguez has already proven himself a part of Boston’s future and is 2-0 with four earned runs allowed in 19 total innings over his last three turns. The Venezuela native did not issue a walk in the first two outings in that stretch but handed out three against the Yankees on Monday and lasted only five innings. Rodriguez has struggled during the day, posting a 1-4 record with a 9.27 ERA in seven daytime starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox DH David Ortiz hit his 496th career home run on Saturday and became the first player in team history to have nine 30-homer seasons.
2. Philadelphia LF/3B Cody Asche got the day off on Saturday but is expected to return to third base on Sunday.
3. Boston placed LF Hanley Ramirez (shoulder) on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Aug. 27.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Phillies 3