Phillies tab Eickhoff to face Braves, in wake of trade of opposing starter

By: Matt Rappa, managing editor

UPDATE: The Braves reportedly have agreed to trade probable starter Jhoulys Chacin to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  In his place, Williams Perez will take the mound against the Phillies.   With the change, the Phillies will face a starter fresh out of AAA Gwinnett.   At AAA Gwinnett, Perez is 1-2 with a 3.26 earned run average in three starts.  Perez pitched a complete game shutout the Charlotte Knights on May 6.  Tonight would have been his normal turn in the rotation.

ATLANTA — The Philadelphia Phillies (19-14) — who have won seven consecutive one-run games for the first time since 1942 — will look for their seventh series victory of the season Wednesday evening as they send right-hander Jerad Eickhoff to the mound in opposition of right-hander Jhoulys Chacin and the MLB-worst Atlanta Braves (7-24).

In securing the 3-2 series opener victory on Tuesday, right-hander Jeanmar Gomez became the fastest Phillie to record 12 saves in a season since right-hander Heathcliff Slocumb (14) in 1995. Gomez currently leads the majors in the category this season.

The Phillies hold a 1.5-game lead for the second National League Wild Card spot. They trail the New York Mets by the same amount for the lead in the division.

Starting Pitching Matchup:

Jerad Eickhoff — Age: 25;

• Last Start: May 5, 2016, at STL: L, 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, HR
• Career vs. ATL: (1-0), 1 GS, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA

Eickhoff has one career start against the Braves, which coincidentally also occurred at Turner Field in a no-decision on Sept. 19 of last season. He threw seven shutout innings on 91 pitches and 59 strikes, however his winning decision went for naught when first baseman Freddie Freeman hit a two-run, game-winning home run off right-hander Jerome Williams in the bottom of the eighth.

The right-hander has allowed more than three runs in just one of his six starts this season, a 8-5 defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers on April 24.

Jhoulys Chacin — Age: 28;

• Last Start: May 4, 2016, at NYM: L, 4.2 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 4 BB, 4 SO, 4 HR
• Career vs. PHI: (2-1), 7 G, 5 GS, 36.0 IP, 28 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 8 BB, 26 SO, 1 HR, 2.25 ERA

Chacin last faced the Phillies on May 26, 2014, as a member of the Colorado Rockies. The Phillies — who went on to win 9-0 — scored four runs off the right-hander in five innings of work on seven hits and a walk. First baseman Ryan Howard went 2-3 against Chacin that evening with a RBI line-drive single and a two-run home run, both to right field.

The Venezuelan native is coming off of his worst start of the season, allowing eight runs and four home runs on seven hits and four walks in a 8-0 defeat to the division-leading Mets.

Starting Lineups:

Standings:

Broadcast Information:

• First pitch: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: CSN
• Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP

Game Notes:

• The Braves are the third team in Major League Baseball history to lose at least 16 of their first 17 home games, joining the 1883 Philadelphia Quakers/Phillies (1-16) and the 1913 New York Yankees (0-16-1).
• The Phillies are 3-7 in their last 10 and 79-85 all-time at Turner Field, which is in its last season as the Braves prepare to play at SunTrust Park starting in 2017. The Phillies have limited the Braves to two runs or fewer in five consecutive contests at the venue.
• Combined in their careers against Chacin, catcher Carlos Ruiz and Howard are 7-24 with one double, one home run and four runs-batted-in. Four other Phillies who have faced Chacin previously in their careers — infielders Freddy Galvis, Emmanuel Burriss, Cesar Hernandez and outfielder Peter Bourjos — are hitless in nine combined plate appearances.

What's Next:

• Thursday, May 12, 2016: at Atlanta Braves, 7:10 p.m.
• Turner Field
• RHP Vince Velasquez (4-1, 2.17 ERA) vs. RHP Aaron Blair (0-2, 3.31 ERA)
• TV: CSN; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP