Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia preview
Citizens Bank Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 6, 2014 ) Philadelphia 2, Pittsburgh 6
The Pittsburgh Pirates have proven their resiliency time after time and the passing of their latest such test has given them a small leg up in the race for the National League’s second wild card. The Pirates, who begin a four-game road set in Philadelphia to face the Phillies on Monday, followed a four-game skid by completing a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs over the weekend. Pittsburgh enters this series after belting four home runs during a season-high 19-hit attack in Sunday’s 10-4 win.
The Pirates (74-68) rebounded after slipping as many as eight games under .500 early in the year and endured a 5-9 stretch in August as reigning NL MVP Andrew McCutchen recovered from a rib injury. Pittsburgh holds a one-half game lead over Atlanta and Milwaukee in the wild-card race. The Phillies reside in the NL East basement, but have shown signs of life lately by winning nine of their last 13 after taking two of three in Washington. Philadelphia, which was swept in three games in Pittsburgh in early July, has dropped five of its last six home games against the Pirates.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), CSN Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates LH Jeff Locke (6-4, 3.75 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Kyle Kendrick (8-11, 4.77)
After managing to work around 14 walks over his previous four outings, Locke’s lack of command caught up to him in Tuesday’s 6-4 loss at St. Louis. The 2013 All-Star surrendered five runs (four earned) on four hits and issued five more free passes over three-plus innings, bringing his four-game winning streak to an unceremonious end. Locke has encountered no such issues against the Phillies in his career, however, winning each of his three starts while posting a 1.37 ERA.
Kendrick threw only 55 of his 101 pitches for strikes in his last time out, but managed to allow only three hits and two walks in a season-high seven frames to win for the third time in as many outings following Tuesday’s 4-0 victory in Atlanta. The scoreless turn was a pleasant change for the 30-year-old, who had yielded at least four runs in three of his previous five outings. Kendrick hasn't opposed Pittsburgh since 2012, but is 4-2 with a 3.86 ERA in eight all-time appearances (six starts) against the Pirates.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pittsburgh’s Neil Walker hasn't homered in 11 career games in Philadelphia, but clubbed his 19th of the season on Sunday – matching Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski’s 1958 club record for a second baseman.
2. Philadelphia closer Jonathan Papelbon needs one more save to tie Steve Bedrosian (103) for the second-most saves in club history.
3. Phillies CF Ben Revere and Pirates 3B Josh Harrison are tied for second in the NL with a .315 batting average, one point behind Colorado’s Justin Morneau.
PREDICTION: Pirates 6, Phillies 3