By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Coming off of their 15th series loss of the season — and just their fourth in their last 16 series since June 12 — the Philadelphia Phillies (64-50) will look to rebound against the National League-worst San Diego Padres (46-71) in the first of a three-game set late Friday at Petco Park. Phillies right-hander Zach Eflin will make his 16th start of the season, as he opposes rookie right-hander Jacob Nix in his major league debut. Eflin will also make his first career start against the team that drafted him 33rd overall in the first round of the 2012 amateur draft.
Prior to the game, the Phillies activated 3B/SS J.P. Crawford (fractured left hand) from the 10-day disabled list on Friday. Right-hander Enyel De Los Santos was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley Wednesday evening in anticipation of Crawford's return. The Phillies have gone 26-17 since Crawford last appeared with them on June 19. In addition, the club acquired first baseman Justin Bour and cash from the Miami Marlins in exchange for southpaw prospect McKenzie Mills. Right-hander Jake Thompson was designated for assignment as a corresponding move.
Friday marks one year since Phillies 1B/OF Rhys Hoskins made his major league debut. Through 155 career games, Hoskins is slashing .258/.379/.539 with 35 doubles, 40 home runs, 120 RBI, 103 walks and 153 strikeouts. The Sacramento, California, native posted a MLB fourth-best .938 OPS (now .918) through his first 150 career games since 1900, bested only by Lefty O'Doul (1.080), Chuck Klein (1.041) and Jim Thome (.956).
The Phillies have won two of their three games against the Padres so far this season — July 20 and a doubleheader on July 22 — outscoring manager Andy Green's squad, 18-15. The Phillies last won a series at Petco Park on August 5-7, 2016, having lost all three of their games at the venue last season, August 14-16.
Starting Pitching Matchup:
| Philadelphia Phillies (64-50) | San Diego Padres (46-71) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP | Zach Eflin | RHP | Jacob Nix | ||
| (8-3, 3.61 ERA) | (MLB Debut) | ||||
RHP Zach Eflin, Age: 24
- 2018 vs. SDP: N/A
- Career vs. SDP: N/A
- Career at Petco Park: N/A
Thirty months after drafing Eflin, the Padres dealt the right-hander to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the five-player trade surrounding outfielder Matt Kemp. The Phillies acquired Eflin one day later in the trade that sent perennial club shortstop Jimmy Rollins to Los Angeles.
Eflin won his most recent start, August 4, home against the Miami Marlins on Wall of Fame Night at Citizens Bank Park. The right-hander needed just 85 pitches to toss eight strong innings, yielding three runs on four hits, no walks and six strikeouts spanning 27 batters faced.
RHP Jacob Nix, Age: 22
- 2018 vs. PHI: N/A
- Career vs. PHI: N/A
- Career at Petco Park: N/A
Nix is the Padres' 14th-ranked prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com, which describes the right-hander's amateur draft history with the Houston Astros and Padres as the following:
Nix reportedly was set to receive a $1.5 million bonus from the Astros in 2014 after they drafted him in the fifth round, but the club's inability to come to terms with No. 1 overall pick Brady Aiken resulted in a reduced bonus pull, and Houston was forced to pull Nix's offer. Both pitchers wound up with IMG Academy's (Bradenton, Fla.) post-graduate program and were drafted once again in 2015, with Nix going to the Padres in the third round and signing for $900,000.
The Fullerton, California, native — who missed time this season due to a groin strain — went 3-3 with a 1.84 ERA, 44-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 0.903 WHIP spanning 10 starts and 58 2/3 innings between Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso in 2018. Nix's repertoire includes three primary pitches: a changeup, a 92-94 miles-per-hour fastball, and a hard-spinning curve.
Starting Lineups:
| Philadelphia Phillies (64-50) | San Diego Padres (46-71) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Bats | Position | Player | Bats | ||
| 1 | 2B | Cesar Hernandez | S | 1 | CF | Manuel Margot | R |
| 2 | LF | Rhys Hoskins | R | 2 | 1B | Eric Hosmer | L |
| 3 | RF | Nick Williams | L | 3 | LF | Hunter Renfroe | R |
| 4 | 1B | Carlos Santana | S | 4 | RF | Franmil Reyes | R |
| 5 | SS | Asdrubal Cabrera | S | 5 | C | Austin Hedges | R |
| 6 | CF | Odubel Herrera | L | 6 | 3B | Cory Spangenberg | L |
| 7 | 3B | Maikel Franco | R | 7 | SS | Freddy Galvis | S |
| 8 | C | Jorge Alfaro | R | 8 | 2B | Carlos Asuaje | L |
| 9 | P | Zach Eflin | R | 9 | P | Jacob Nix | R |
Broadcast Information:
- First pitch: 10:10 p.m.
- TV: NBCSP
- Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
Game Notes:
- With 48 games left to play, the Phillies lead the National League East by one game, and currently have the second-best winning percentage in the National League.
- The Phillies offense is slashing a combined .260/.351/.410 in 114 plate appearances against the Padres this season, with three doubles, four home runs, 17 RBI, 11 walks and 28 strikeouts. On the mound against the Padres this season, Phillies pitching has a combined 3.67 ERA, 31-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 1.222 WHIP spanning 27 innings.
- The Phillies are 32-14 (.696) all-time at Petco Park since the venue opened in 2004. The Phillies have fallen in six of their last 10 games against the Padres overall since August 7, 2016, despite outhitting them 82-78.
What's Next:
Saturday, August 11, 2018: at San Diego Padres, 8:40 p.m.
- Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
- RHP Aaron Nola (12-3, 2.37 ERA) vs. RHP Walker Lockett (0-2, 9.28 ERA)
- TV: NBCSP; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
