Phillies look to stay hot in battle for Pennsylvania supremacy

Following a short two-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles, the Philadelphia Phillies will head on the road to face their interstate rivals, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Phillies enter the series with a record of 47-37, putting them 10 games above .500 for the first time since 2011. This mark – which figures to improve when you consider the Phillies are scheduled to play only two teams with winning records in July – currently has the Phillies in control of the final Wild Card spot in the National League. They are just a game back of the National League East leading Atlanta Braves.

Meanwhile, the Pirates have lost six of their last 10 games and are currently six games under .500. When you consider that the now-injured Francisco Cervelli leads the team with a 1.9 fWAR, it’s not hard to see why Clint Hurdle’s squad is fading after a surprisingly respectable start.

One thing worth watching is that the Phillies have yet to announce a starter for Sunday’s game, the final game of the three-game series. It’s Vince Velasquez’s turn in the rotation, but he was placed on the disabled list last weekend with a forearm contusion. Enyel De Los Santos, who will be an International League All-Star, pitched Thursday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. His rotation mate Cole Irvin, who also will be an International League All-Star, is scheduled to pitch Friday at Triple-A. Drew Anderson, who is on the 40-man roster, could get the nod.

Pitching Matchups
Game 1: Nick Pivetta (5-7, 4.66 ERA, 3.69 FIP) vs. Trevor Williams (6-6, 4.22 ERA, 4.22 FIP)
Game 2: Jake Arrieta (5-6, 3.54 ERA, 4.12 FIP) vs. Jameson Taillon (5-6, 4.05 ERA, 3.76 FIP)
Game 3: TBA vs. Nick Kingham (2-4, 4.70 ERA, 3.76 FIP)

Where to Watch/Listen

Game 1

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP

Game 2

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP

Game 3

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP

Series Notes

1. The Phillies have a 17-21 record when playing away from Citizens Bank Park in 2018.
2. The Pirates are only 21-21 when playing at home this season.
3. The Phillies are currently undefeated against the Pirates this year, having swept the four-game series that the two teams played at Citizens Bank Park in April.