Following a day of rest, the Major League worst Phillies continue their road trip against their cross-state opponents in Pittsburgh. The Phils just got swept by the Reds on the road after taking two out of three at home against them at the beginning of the month. Meanwhile, the Pirates, 6-3 so far this month, are fresh off of a series victory against the Brewers. Tonight, Kevin Correia makes his debut in red pinstripes while the Phillies will sqaure off against Pirates left-hander, Jeff Locke. The Phillies and Pirates split a four-game series in Philadelphia in May.
Starting Pitching Match-up:
| Philadelphia Phillies (22-39) | Washington Nationals (32-27) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP | Kevin Correia | LHP | Jeff Locke | ||
| 2014: 9-13, 4.18 ERA | 3-3, 5.37 ERA | ||||
After Severino Gonzalez's latest start in which he lasted just 2 2/3 innings and gave up six runs on seven hits, the Phillies decided to add a veteran pitcher to their staff in 34-year-old right-hander, Kevin Coerreia. At the end of March, Correia was released by Seattle. Shortly afterwards, he signed with the Giants and was granted free agency on May 30th. In six starts at the Triple-A level this season, he posted an 0-1 record to go along with a 3.58 ERA.Drafted in the fourth round of the 2004 draft by San Francisco, Correia holds a lifetime 76-95 record and a 4.59 ERA. Last season, between the Twins and Dodgers, he went 7-17 with a 5.44 ERA in 32 games, 26 of which were starts.
After starting the season with back-to-back strong outings, Jeff Locke has allowed four or more runs in six of his last nine starts this season. Last time out against the Braves, Locke didn't factor in the decision after allowing four runs in 6 1/3 innings of work. While Locke might be a south-paw, left-handed hitters are actually hitting better off of him this year, a .311 average to be exact. He's earned victories in all four career starts against the Phillies, posting a 1.35 ERA in 26 2/3 innings.
Starting Lineups:
|
Philadelphia Phillies (22-39) |
Pittsburgh Pirates (32-27) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Bats | Position | Player | Bats | ||
| 1 | LF | Ben Revere | L | 1 | RF | Gregory Polanco | L |
| 2 | 2B | Andres Blanco | S | 2 | LF | Starling Marte | R |
| 3 | 3B | Maikel Franco | R | 3 | CF | Andrew McCutchen | R |
| 4 | 1B | Darin Ruf | R | 4 | 2B | Neil Walker | S |
| 5 | RF | Jeff Francoeur | R | 5 | 3B | Josh Harrison | R |
| 6 | SS | Cesar Hernandez | S | 6 | 1B | Pedro Alvarez | L |
| 7 | LF | Cody Asche | L | 7 | C | Francisco Cervelli | R |
| 8 | C | Cameron Rupp | R | 8 | SS | Jordy Mercer | R |
| 9 | P | Kevin Correia | R | 9 | P | Jeff Locke | L |
Game Notes:
- Phillies hitters vs. Jeff Locke
- Maikel Franco: 0-for-2, K
- Ben Revere: 1-for-11, RBI
- Cody Asche: 1-for-3, K
- Pirates hitters vs. Kevin Correia
- Andrew McCutchen: 0-for-5, 2 K's
- Pedro Alvarez: 3-for-5, RBI, BB
- Neil Walker: 2-for-8, BB, K
- Kevin Correia is 3-1 with a 3.69 ERA in eight games, including five starts, in his career against the Pirates.
- Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco is slashing .444/.459/.917 with five doubles, four homers and eight RBI's during his nine-game hitting streak.
- The Phillies are a Major League worst 7-23 on the road this season.
- The Phillies rank 30th in runs (194) and slugging percentage (.356) this season. They are 29th and 26th in on-base percentage (.290) and batting average (.239) respectively.
- Since a three-hit game against the Reds on June 2, Chase Utley has just one hit in his last 25 at-bats and is now in his second 0 for 21 slump of the season.
Broadcast Information:
Gametime: 7:05pm EST
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Weather: 84 degrees, light rain, 52% chance of rain
TV: NBC 10
Radio: 94 WIP, 1210 WPHT, SBP 1480 (Sp.)
Brandon Apter, Publishing Editor for Philliedelphia.com
