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Geregistreerd op: 04 Jul 2018
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The Philadelphia Phillies have stayed near the top of the National League standings halfway through the season thanks in large part to their strong play at Citizens Bank Park.
They’ll close out their first-half home slate this week with two games against the Baltimore Orioles. Right-handers Zach Eflin and Alex Cobb will face off Tuesday night.
The Phillies enter the series at 45-37 and are 28-16 at home. The team had an off-day Monday after taking three of four against the Washington Nationals Marcell Dareus Jersey , and the Phillies won Sunday in 13 innings with a walk-off homer from catcher Andrew Knapp.
“A win like that, especially against Washington, is huge for our season right now,” Knapp told NBC Sports Philadelphia. “It shows we’re here to stay. A lot of games left and we’ve got to keep playing well, but we’re up there with a lot of those teams.”
The Phillies have won 13 of their last 20 games and are firmly in second place in the National League East less than two weeks before the All-Star break. They’ll try to pad their win total against the Orioles (24-59), who have the worst record in baseball.
Eflin (6-2, 3.02 ERA) will be making his first start of July after a stellar month of June for the Phillies. The 24-year-old went 5-0 with a 1.76 ERA and 0.978 WHIP in five starts last month.
Eflin had one of the most impressive starts of his three-year major league career in his last outing. He threw seven scoreless innings against the New York Yankees, giving up only four hits while striking out six batters.
“Eflin was just outstanding,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler told reporters about Eflin after his last start. “…He certainly wasn’t rattled by anything. When he had base runners on, it’s almost like he got calmer. He did a really good job of controlling the running game and controlling his fastball. His working north-south better than he has before. And in June, he was dominant the whole month against some of baseball’s best teams.”
Eflin has never faced Baltimore in 32 career starts. Cobb (2-9, 6.75) will also be making his first appearance against the Phillies in his seven-year major league career.
The Orioles are 3-11 in Cobb’s 14 starts in 2018, including a loss to the Seattle Mariners last Wednesday. Cobb allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings in that start. It was the seventh time this season he’s surrendered at least five earned runs in a game.
“The inconsistency on my end, really never dealt with it before,” Cobb told mlb.com after the game. “But it’s really unacceptable to keep going out there and having a good game Josh Lambo Jersey , and a game where you don’t give much of an opportunity for your team to win.”
The Phillies are 1-0 against the Orioles this season. They won a game in Baltimore on May 16 and will play another game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 12 to make up a rained-out contest.
It was ”Turn Ahead the Clock” night at Safeco Field, including back-to-the future sleeveless uniforms with shirt tails out and some shiny silver shoes and helmets.
The Seattle Mariners feel like their future is now, earning a season-best sixth consecutive victory by beating the Kansas City Royals 6-4 on Saturday night.
Ryon Healy had four hits, including a home run and three RBIs. Felix Hernandez (8-6) earned the win despite back stiffness so severe that it was difficult for him to bend over.
”It was real bad,” Hernandez said. ”I put a heat pad on it between innings and I couldn’t sit (in the dugout). I was standing up the whole game.”
The stiffness showed in the first inning when Hernandez gave up four consecutive hits, including a three-run homer to Mike Moustakas. But Hernandez managed to pitch four scoreless innings afterward.
Did he consider skipping his start?
”Come on, man,” he said. ”I had to go out there. But the ump wouldn’t let me wear my hat backwards (on the uniform night). ”He said it was too much of a distraction with my jersey out and the earrings. I said. `Look, this is the future.’ `’
Edwin Diaz pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 31st save of the season.
Jason Hammels (2-10) lost his fifth straight, allowing all six runs on 13 hits in six innings.
”Mechanically, the first few innings I was a mess,” Hammels said. ”That’s a tough lineup. I felt like I was throwing batting practice today.”
So did Hernandez in the first inning, but Seattle manager Scott Servais said they were just hoping to get five innings out of him.
”The ball was up in the first because he wasn’t extending due to the tightness in his back,” Servais said. ”He wasn’t finishing his pitches, but he got through it. The key was keeping us in the game Leonard Fournette Jersey , which he did, and we took advantage of it.”
The Mariners (53-31) are 22 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2003 season. They have gone 16 consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance, the longest dry spell in professional sports.
”We’re just living the dream now,” Hernandez said. ”I love these guys. It’s the best team we’ve had in my 14 years. It’s fun.”
Kansas City manager Ned Yost said he knew Hernandez would get better as the game progressed.
”Good pitchers, if you’re going to get them, you better get them early because they’re going to settle in,” Yost said. ”Hernandez settled in in the second.”
The Mariners quickly got back in it. Mitch Haniger made it 3-1 in the bottom of the first when he doubled to the gap in left-center to score Jean Segura, who singled.
The Mariners took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the second. Healy homered to left-center to tie it at 3 and Mike Zunino hit a sacrifice fly.
The Mariners added two more runs on five hits in the third inning to take a 6-3 lead.
It was another impressive win for the Mariners on a night of uniforms that were supposed to represent the year 2027. Dee Gordon wore his hat backward and Nelson Cruz showed off his giant biceps in the sleeveless attire.
”Dee put so much effort into it, so it was his night,”’ Healy said. ”But Nelson and those arms. My goodness. That’s shear intimidation when he doesn’t wear sleeves.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: Yost said RHP Ian Kennedy was feeling better Saturday after experiencing tightness on his left side when he left the game Friday after five innings. Yost didn’t day whether Kennedy would make his next scheduled start . INF Chester Cuthbert (lower back strain) went 0 for 2 with a walk and a run scored in his first rehab assignment game at Triple-A Omaha on Friday night. Cuthbert appeared in 30 games and was hitting .194 before the injury on May 16.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Brad Keller (2-2, 2.25) will make his sixth start of the year Sunday. Keller is coming off the best start of his rookie season when he pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed only two hits in a 2-0 victory over the Angels Monday.
Mariners: LHP James Paxton (7-2, 3.65) will make his 18th start of the season Sunday. Paxton leads the team in strikeouts this season with 134 in 103 2/3 innings. He has six double-digit strikeout games in 2018 and his 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings are fourth-best in the AL. |
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