Philadelphia @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( May 1, 2016 ) Cleveland 1, Philadelphia 2

The Cleveland Indians hope to take advantage of their final home series of the season when they host the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a three-game interleague set Friday night. The Indians capped a three-game sweep of major league-worst Detroit with a 7-0 victory Thursday to move into a tie with idle Tampa Bay for the final American League wild-card spot and improve to 47-31 at Progressive Field.

Yasiel Puig had two more hits in Thursday’s victory and is 10-for-17 with three RBIs during a four-game winning streak while teammate Francisco Lindor had three hits and scored twice for Cleveland, which is 6-8 in interleague play this year. The Indians will send right-hander Shane Bieber to the mound for the series opener and the Phillies counter with lefty Drew Smyly, who has been much better with Philadelphia (3-1, 4.14 ERA) than he was with Texas to start the season (1-5, 8.42). The Phillies failed to finish off a sweep of National League East-leading Atlanta after falling 5-4 on Thursday and stand four games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the race for the second wild-card spot with 11 contests left - the first eight on the road. Philadelphia second baseman Cesar Hernandez had three hits Thursday and is 11-for-27 over his seven games, but teammate Jean Segura left the loss with a hamstring injury and his status is uncertain.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN, NBCS Philadelphia, STO (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies LH Drew Smyly (4-6, 6.22 ERA) vs. Indians RH Shane Bieber (14-7, 3.26)

Smyly has pitched well in three starts this month, posting two wins and a 2.20 ERA, after allowing 22 runs (20 earned) across 25 innings in five outings during August. The 30-year-old Arkansas native yielded four runs (three earned) over four innings in a no-decision against Atlanta last time out after beating the New York Mets with seven scoreless innings five days earlier. Puig is 4-for-5 versus Smyly, who gave up five runs over 3 1/3 innings against the Indians on June 18 in his last appearance with Texas.

Bieber permitted four runs on 11 hits over 5 2/3 innings of a no-decision against Minnesota in his last outing Sunday after winning his first two starts of September. The 24-year-old California native had not given up more than three earned runs in 10 consecutive starts before serving up three homers in his last trip to the mound. Logan Morrison and Jay Bruce have each gone deep against Bieber, who faces Philadelphia for the first time in his career and is 2-3 with a 6.35 ERA in six interleague outings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Philadelphia RF Bryce Harper has 32 homers, tied with Lefty O’Doul for third-most in the first season with the club and two behind Raul Ibanez for second.

2. Cleveland C Roberto Perez is 17-for-43 with two homers and 12 RBIs in September after recording two hits Thursday.

3. Phillies C J.T. Realmuto has scored 91 runs, which is third-most in franchise history for a player at his position.

PREDICTION: Indians 6, Phillies 2