Looking to bounce back, Phillies set to take on lowly Padres in weekend set

Coming off a rough series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Philadelphia Phillies continue their West Coast trip heading out to California to face the San Diego Padres. The Padres currently have the worst record in the National League, so this is a series the Phillies should capitalize on.

Although they dropped two games in their last series, the Phillies still hold first place in the National League East. They currently have a one game lead on the Atlanta Braves, with the Washington Nationals still very much within striking distance. A series win in San Diego is a must if the Phillies want to give themselves some breathing room heading into the end of August.

On the mound for the Phillies in this series, we will see Zach Eflin, Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta. Eflin will be looking to follow up from his great start against the Miami Marlins, where he gave up only four hits over eight innings. Nola has been stellar as of late, but hasn’t been able to up his win total, as he’s received a no-decision in each of his last three starts. Arrieta will be looking to follow up his best start for the Phillies, an eight inning performance in which the Phillies bullpen wasn’t able to hold his lead.

The Phillies will be facing off against three Padres Pitchers who lack experience. Jacob Nix, Walker Lockett and Joey Lucchesi have a combined 36 starts combined in the majors. Nix accounts for none of those starts, as he will be making his first career start against the Phillies.

Pitching Matchups

Game 1:  Zach Eflin (8-3, 3.61 ERA, 3.86 FIP) vs. Jacob Nix (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 FIP)
Game 2: Aaron Nola (12-3, 2.37 ERA, 2.78 FIP) vs. Walker Lockett (0-2, 9.28 ERA, 5.96 FIP)
Game 3: Jake Arrieta (9-6, 3.11 ERA, 3.88 FIP) vs. Joey Lucchesi (5-6, 3.70 ERA, 4.41 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

• Aaron Nola is 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA over his last seven games.
• Hunter Renfroe is hitting .379 with four home runs and 12 RBIs in August.
• Jake Arrieta has settled in during the second half of the season, as he has not lost a game since June 26 against the Yankees.
• Nick Williams has a .274 batting average over his last 15 games.
• The Padres pitching staff has a .258 BAA, which is 24th in the MLB.

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