Phillies, Mets to Open 5-Game Series With Single-Admission Doubleheader

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

Fresh off a thrilling, 7-4 victory over the MLB-best Boston Red Sox, the Philadelphia Phillies (66-53) will open a four-day, five-game series against the New York Mets (51-67), starting with a single-admission doubleheader on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park. Right-hander Corey Oswalt and LHP Ranger Suarez will start in the first game, while LHP Steven Matz and RHP Zach Eflin will start the second. The first game of the doubleheader will be exclusively shown on Facebook-Watch, the Phillies' fourth appearance this season on the social media platform.

Read: Phillies Recall Eflin, Leiter, Suarez, Place Davis, Loup on Disabled List

Catcher Wilson Ramos did not disappoint in his Phillies debut against the Red Sox on Wednesday, going 3-4 with two doubles, on triple, three runs scored, three RBI and one strikeout, while also throwing out second baseman Brock Holt in a stolen base attempt. Justin Bour also made his first start in red pinstripes at first, and went 2-5 with one run scored and a strikeout. Collectively, the Phillies outhit the Red Sox 12-10, and went 5-11 with runners in scoring position while produce four, two-out RBI. Seranthony Dominguez recorded his 13th save with a four-out relief appearance on 18 pitches, while southpaw reliever Aaron Loup notched his first hold in a Phillies uniform.

In Sunday's series finale, the Phillies and Mets will head to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for the MLB Little League Classic at the BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field, home of the Phillies' Short-Season, Class-A Williamsport Crosscutters. The game will air on ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball."

Starting Pitching Matchups:

RHP Corey Oswalt, Age: 24

• 2018 vs. PHI: 0-1, 4.50 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 7 SO, 0.667 WHIP
• Career vs. PHI: 0-1, 4.50 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 7 SO, 0.667 WHIP
• Career at Citizens Bank Park: N/A

LHP Steven Matz, Age: 27

• 2018 vs. PHI: 0-0, 1.80 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 5 IP, 5 H, R, ER, HR, 4 BB, 3 SO, 1.800 WHIP
• Career vs. PHI: 0-1, 2.53 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 10 2/3 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, HR, 6 BB, 4 SO, 1.406 WHIP
• Career at Citizens Bank Park: 0-1, 2.53 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 10 2/3 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, HR, 6 BB, 4 SO, 1.406 WHIP

Oswalt will make his eighth career start, and his second against the Phillies. The rookie right-hander is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.327 WHIP in 17 1/3 innings on the road, as opposed to 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA and 0.864 WHIP in 22 innings at home.

Matz will make his first start since July 31, recovered from a strained flexor-pronator muscle in his left forearm. The four-year veteran southpaw will make his third career start against the Phillies, all at Citizens Bank Park.

LHP Ranger Suarez, Age: 22

• 2018 vs. NYM: N/A
• Career vs. NYM: N/A
• Career at Citizens Bank Park: N/A

RHP Zach Eflin, Age: 24

• 2018 vs. NYM: 0-0, 5.40 ERA, 1 G, 1 GS, 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, HR, 0 BB, 4 SO, 1.000 WHIP
• Career vs. NYM: 0-2, 4.64 ERA, 4 G, 4 GS, 21 1/3 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 4 HR, 5 BB, 15 SO, 1.172 WHIP
• Career at Citizens Bank Park: 6-6, 4.64 ERA, 16 G, 16 GS, 97 IP, 93 H, 51 R, 50 ER, 22 HR, 20 BB, 79 SO, 1.165 WHIP

Suarez will make his Citizens Bank Park debut and his second career appearance. The rookie southpaw defeated the Cincinnati Reds on the road in his big-league debut on July 26, despite allowing four runs, six hits, one walk and two home runs spanning five innings and 75 pitches.

Eflin returns to the Phillies for the first time since his Saturday demotion to make room for Bour on the 25-man roster. He will receive the call up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley as the 26th man of the doubleheader, before being sent back down until his next scheduled start on August 21. The right-hander has yet to solve the Mets lineup through four career outings, going 0-2 with a 4.64 ERA and 1.172 WHIP.

Game 1 Starting Lineups:

Broadcast Information:

• Game 1: 4:05 p.m.
  • TV: Facebook-Watch
  • Radio: 1210 WPHT
• Game 2: TBD
  • TV: NBCSP, MLBN
  • Radio: 1210 WPHT

Game Notes:

• While the Phillies begin a four-day, five-game series against the Mets, the division-leading Atlanta Braves will open a four-game home series against the Wild Card-contending Colorado Rockies.
• The Phillies' win on Wednesday was their 66th, matching their total in all of the 2017 season. It also was the club's 11th interleague victory of 2018 (11-6), tying a franchise record set in 2016 (11-9). The Phillies will have three chances to set a new record, away against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 24-26.
• Ramos has at least one hit in seven straight games since July 7, slashing .448/.467/.897 with seven runs scored, five singles, five doubles, one triple, two home runs, 11 RBI, one walk and five strikeouts spanning 30 plate appearances. On Wednesday, Ramos became the first player to collect three extra-base hits in his Phillies debut since Ed Freed on Sept. 11, 1942, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

• The Phillies are 0-1-2 in three series against the Mets so far this season. The clubs will play their second doubleheader of the season against each other on Thursday, having split the first on July 9 at Citi Field.
• All three Phillies first basemen — Carlos Santana, Bour and Rhys Hoskins — are a combined 3-26 (.115) in their careers against Oswalt and Matz with three singles, two RBI, two walks, seven strikeouts and one hit-by-pitch.

What's Next:

Friday, August 17, 2018: vs. New York Mets, 6:05 p.m.

• Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pa.
• RHP Noah Syndergaard (8-2, 3.22 ERA) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (13-3, 2.28 ERA)
• TV: NBC 10, MLBN; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP