By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The Philadelphia Phillies (17-13) will open their final series of their nine-game homestand Friday evening, as RHP Jerad Eickhoff opposes former teammate RHP Jeremy Hellickson against the Washington Nationals (13-17) at Citizens Bank Park. Eickhoff has not allowed a run spanning 11 innings at home this season.
The Phillies have won four of their last five games since last Friday, falling only to the Detroit Tigers, 3-1, on Tuesday. Over this stretch, the Phillies have a MLB fourth-best .274 batting average, a seventh-best walk percentage (10.4), and a fifth-lowest strikeout percentage (20.8). On the mound, Phillies pitching has a seventh-best 3.20 ERA, despite logging the fourth-fewest strikeouts (41).
Starting Pitching Matchup:
| Washington Nationals (13-17) | Philadelphia Phillies (17-13) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP | Jeremy Hellickson | RHP | Jerad Eickhoff | ||
| (2-0, 5.82 ERA) | (1-1, 2.12 ERA) | ||||
RHP Jeremy Hellickson, Age: 32
- Career vs. PHI: 2-1, 2.18 ERA, 4 G, 3 GS, 20 2/3 IP, 20 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 6 BB, 16 SO, 1.258 WHIP
- Career at Citizens Bank Park: 10-7, 3.79 ERA, 28 G, 28 GS, 166 1/3 IP, 151 H, 77 R, 70 ER, 24 HR, 45 BB, 134 SO, 1.178 WHIP
RHP Jerad Eickhoff, Age: 28
- Career vs. WSN: 1-1, 2.88 ERA, 4 G, 4 GS, 25 IP, 23 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 24 SO, 1.200 WHIP
- Career at Citizens Bank Park: 11-12, 3.35 ERA, 35 G, 34 GS, 201 1/3 IP, 189 H, 84 R, 75 ER, 27 HR, 57 BB, 196 SO, 1.222 WHIP
Starting Lineups:
| Washington Nationals (13-17) | Philadelphia Phillies (17-13) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Bats | Position | Player | Bats | ||
| 1 | LF | Adam Eaton | L | 1 | CF | Andrew McCutchen | R |
| 2 | RF | Victor Robles | R | 2 | SS | Jean Segura | R |
| 3 | 3B | Howie Kendrick | R | 3 | RF | Bryce Harper | L |
| 4 | 1B | Matt Adams | L | 4 | 1B | Rhys Hoskins | R |
| 5 | C | Kurt Suzuki | R | 5 | C | J.T. Realmuto | R |
| 6 | 2B | Brian Dozier | R | 6 | LF | Nick Williams | L |
| 7 | SS | Carter Kieboom | R | 7 | 2B | Cesar Hernandez | S |
| 8 | P | Jeremy Hellickson | R | 8 | 3B | Maikel Franco | R |
| 9 | CF | Michael A. Taylor | R | 9 | P | Jerad Eickhoff | R |
Broadcast Information:
- First pitch: 7:05 p.m.
- TV: NBCSP
- Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
Game Notes:
Jerad Eickhoff pitches tonight for #Phillies. He has third-lowest expected BA (xBA) out of 293 pitchers (min. 50 batters):
1. Workman (BOS): .118
2. Hader (MIL): .134
3. Eickhoff (PHI): .140Opponents are 6-for-38 (.159) with 16 Ks against Eickhoff's curve and slider.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) May 3, 2019
- The Phillies enter Friday's action with a 1 1/2-game lead in the National League East. The Nationals trail them by four games, having lost seven of their previous 10 contests.
- Over his last 10 games since April 23, Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper is slashing just .094/.256/.250 with three runs scored, two doubles, one home run, six RBI, six walks, 12 strikeouts and one hit-by-pitch spanning 39 plate appearances.
- Against his former club this season, the 26-year-old is slashing .375/.545/.813 with three runs scored, three singles, one double, two home runs, six RBI, six walks and five strikeouts spanning five games and 22 plate appearances.
- Nationals outfielder Juan Soto will miss his third straight game with back spasms; an MRI on Thursday returned negative. Michael A. Taylor will start in his place.
- The Nationals, whose 4.95 ERA is the seventh worst in MLB, fired pitching coach Derek Lilliquist late Thursday, despite coming after the club allowed just one run in its win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said "preparation issues" was a reason for the move, adding the Nationals needed a "new voice." Paul Menhart, the Nats' minor league pitching coordinator since 2015, will serve as interim pitching coach. Lilliquist lasted less than two years in his role.
- According to Baseball-Reference, the Phillies have the largest increase in attendance per game (11,326 average), adding that figure is "virtually as much as every other team that increased attendance combined (9 other gainers, 11,696 per game combined)."
- At home against the Nationals this season, the Phillies have been outscored 28-11 and outhit 38-22, falling in two of the three games.
- Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins is riding a five-game hitting streak; over this stretch, he is slashing .375/.524/.875 with two runs scored, six hits, two home runs, five RBI, four walks and four strikeouts spanning 16 at-bats.
Rhys Hoskins has an OBP of .409 and a SLG of .602. Since 1934, only two #Phillies hitters (Mike Schmidt, 1981; Ryan Howard, 2006) have had a season with an OBP over .400 and a SLG over .600 https://t.co/5HmlGxTnyJ pic.twitter.com/VO0i2fQHDP
— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) May 2, 2019
- Harper has a two home runs, three RBI and eight walks spanning 20 career at-bats opposite Hellickson. Hoskins, on the other hand, is hitless in six career at-bats opposite the former Phillies two-time Opening Day starter (click to expand).
What's Next:
- Saturday, May 4, 2019: vs. Washington Nationals, 7:05 p.m.
- Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pa.
- LHP Patrick Corbin (2-1, 3.58 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Arrieta (4-2, 3.46 ERA)
- TV: NBCSP; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
