Philadelphia @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 3, 2018 ) Philadelphia 1, Miami 3

The Philadelphia Phillies hope to wake up a dormant offense and climb back into the race in the National League East when they visit the last-place Miami Marlins on Tuesday for the second of a three-game set. The Phillies managed just one run for the third straight contest in a 3-1 setback at Miami on Monday afternoon and have lost 11 of 15 to fall four games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East.

Asdrubal Cabrera, who is a respectable 11-for-34 over his last nine games, homered for Philadelphia’s only run in the latest loss and the Phillies are in jeopardy of losing their sixth straight series against teams at or under .500. Jake Arrieta will try to find his top form again after a rough August when he takes the mound for Philadelphia on Tuesday and Miami will counter with rookie right-hander Trevor Richards, who has pitched well against the Phillies this season. The Marlins have won two of three games this month after ending August with four consecutive losses as they play out the string on their transitional season with a young lineup. Center fielder Lewis Brinson, the key player acquired in the Christian Yelich deal last offseason, is 5-for-11 with a double and an RBI in three games since returning from a near-two month stint on the disabled list with a hip injury.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, FS Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Jake Arrieta (9-9, 3.54 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Trevor Richards (3-7, 4.26)

Arrieta is winless in his last five starts, giving up four runs in each of his last two trips to the mound against Toronto (loss) and Washington (no-decision). The 32-year-old TCU product, who won the Cy Young Award with the Chicago Cubs in 2015, finished with a 4.50 ERA in August after going 4-0 with a 2.80 mark in July. Infielder Miguel Rojas is 2-for-4 with a homer versus Arrieta, who is 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA against the Marlins this season.

Richards has not posted a win in his last seven starts, but limited opponents to three runs or fewer six times during that stretch. The 25-year-old Illinois native gave up five runs on six hits over 11 innings combined against the New York Yankees and Boston in his last two starts without a decision. Richards earned his last win against the Phillies on July 14, allowing four hits over six scoreless innings, and is 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA in the season series.

WALK-OFFS

1. Miami C-1B J.T. Realmuto is 10-for-27 with two homers and seven RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak.

2. Philadelphia 1B Carlos Santana has hit safely in six straight games, going 8-for-24 with a homer and four RBIs in that stretch.

3. The Phillies activated RHP Jerad Eickhoff (lat strain), who has not pitched in the majors this year, from the 60-day DL on Monday.

PREDICTION: Phillies 5, Marlins 2