Suarez to make debut as Phillies open four-game set against Votto, Reds

After taking two out of three from the Los Angeles Dodgers, the first place Philadelphia Phillies head on the road to take on the last place Cincinnati Reds in a four-game series. 

This should be a series where the Phillies offense, which broke through in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s win, is able to thrive. All four of the starters that the Phillies will see in this series have an ERA close to or above five.

On the Phillies side, Ranger Suarez will make his major league debut on the mound in the series-opener for the Phillies. Suarez has spent most of the year in Double-A, where he has a winning record and 2.76 ERA in 12 starts. In just three starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the 22-year-old had an 0.57 ERA. 

In games two and three, the Phillies will give the ball to a struggling Nick Pivetta and Vince Velasquez, respectively. In the series finale, the Phillies will have Zach Eflin towing the rubber, looking to bounce back after a rough start against the Dodgers on Monday. If the Phillies hope to return to the postseason for the first time since 2011, this is the type of series they need to capitalize on. 

Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Ranger Suarez (5-3, 2.38 ERA in 15 starts between Double-A and Triple-A) vs. Tyler Mahle (7-8, 4.32 ERA, 4.93 FIP)

Game 2: Nick Pivetta (6-8, 4.69 ERA, 3.55 FIP) vs. Anthony DeSclafani (4-3, 5.40 ERA, 3.96 FIP)

Game 3: Vince Velasquez (7-8, 4.08 ERA, 3.67 FIP) vs. Matt Harvey (5-6, 5.21 ERA, 5.16 FIP)

Game 4: Zach Eflin (7-2, 3.41 ERA, 3.69 FIP) vs. Luis Castillo (5-8, 5.30 ERA, 4.65 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

Game 4

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP

Series Notes

• Before being traded to the Reds, Matt Harvey had a record of 0-2 with an ERA of 7.00 with the Mets. Since his change of addresses, Harvey has a 5-4 record with a 4.50 ERA and 4.65 FIP in 13 starts.
• The Phillies starting pitching staff enters this series ninth in the league with a 3.82 ERA.
• The Reds pitching staff is 27th in the majors in batting average against at .266.
• Joey Votto has a .286 batting average with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs in 54 career regular season games against the Phillies.