By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Taking on Manny Machado for the first time since negotiating with the four-time All-Star and two-time Glove Glove Award this past offseason in free agency, the Philadelphia Phillies (33-26) will look to snap their season-long four-game losing streak in Monday evening's three-game series opener against the San Diego Padres (30-29) at Petco Park.
Phillies right-handed starter Aaron Nola will make his 13th start, seeking a 7-0 start to the season. The right-hander needed 12 starts last season to notch his seventh win (7-2). Nola will oppose southpaw Eric Lauer, who on his 24th birthday will make his first start against the Phillies — and the 35th start of his career. The recently acquired, left-handed-hitting Jay Bruce will not start against the Padres southpaw; he will be available off the bench to possibly make his Phillies debut.
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The Phillies and Padres split their two series and six overall meetings last season, winning two of three at their respective home ballparks. The Phillies have lost five of their last six games at Petco Park dating back to August 14, 2017, outscored 30-16 and outhit 48-41. The club's last series win at the venue came on August 5-7, 2016.
The Phillies are coming off of being swept for the first time this season — to the National League-best Los Angeles Dodgers — out of 19 overall series.
Starting Pitching Matchup:
| Philadelphia Phillies (33-26) | San Diego Padres (30-29) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP | Aaron Nola | LHP | Eric Lauer | ||
| (6-0, 4.18 ERA) | (4-4, 4.45 ERA) | ||||
RHP Aaron Nola, Age: 25
- Career vs. SDP: 2-2, 2.65 ERA, 5 G, 5 GS, 34 IP, 22 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 9 BB, 35 SO, 0.912 WHIP
- Career at Petco Park: 1-0, 2.25 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 12 IP, 10 H, 3, R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 11 SO, 1.250 WHIP
Over his last seven starts — after starting the season with a 6.84 ERA — Nola is 4-0 with a 2.50 ERA and 46-16 strikeout to walk ratio spanning 39 2/3 innings. Nola has not allowed more than three runs in any of the outings during the stretch. In his most recent start, the Baton Rouge, Louisana, native scattered four hits and one run over seven solid innings against the St. Louis Cardinals last Wednesday.
LHP Eric Lauer, Age: 24
- Career vs. PHI: N/A
- Career at Petco Park: 4-6, 3.75 ERA, 17 G, 17 GS, 86 1/3 IP, 91 H, 44 R, 36 ER, 12 HR, 22 BB, 68 SO, 1.309 WHIP
Lauer has allowed no walks and exactly one run in each of his last three starts, tossing no fewer than 5 1/3 innings. In 2019, the left-hander is 2-2 with a 2.67 ERA over six home starts, as opposed to 2-2 with a 6.84 ERA over five road starts.
Starting Lineups:
| Philadelphia Phillies (33-26) | San Diego Padres (30-29) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Bats | Position | Player | Bats | ||
| 1 | CF | Andrew McCutchen | R | 1 | 3B | Greg Garcia | L |
| 2 | SS | Jean Segura | R | 2 | RF | Franmil Reyes | R |
| 3 | RF | Bryce Harper | L | 3 | SS | Manny Machado | R |
| 4 | 1B | Rhys Hoskins | R | 4 | 1B | Eric Hosmer | L |
| 5 | C | J.T. Realmuto | R | 5 | LF | Hunter Renfroe | R |
| 6 | 3B | Scott Kingery | R | 6 | CF | Wil Myers | R |
| 7 | 2B | Cesar Hernandez | S | 7 | 2B | Ian Kinsler | R |
| 8 | LF | Sean Rodriguez | R | 8 | C | Austin Hedges | R |
| 9 | P | Aaron Nola | R | 9 | P | Eric Lauer | R |
Broadcast Information:
- First pitch: 10:10 p.m.
- TV: NBCSP
- Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
Game Notes:
- Only three other games have or will be played in MLB on Monday: Los Angeles Angels (29-30) at Chicago Cubs (31-26), Los Angeles Dodgers (41-19) at Arizona Diamondbacks (30-30) and Houston Astros (40-20) at Seattle Mariners (25-37).
- With a winning decision, Nola would join Hyun-Jin Ryu (LAD, 8), Max Fried (ATL, 7), Kenta Maeda (LAD, 7), and Brandon Woodruff (MIL, 7) as the only NL pitchers with seven or more wins.
- Earlier on Monday, MLB announced that Odubel Herrera's administrative leave has been extended to June 17 — the same date of his arraignment for simple assault charges.
- Phillies 2019 season series record: 11-5-3.
- The Phillies opted to sign Bryce Harper over Manny Machado in the offseason; so far, Harper has outperformed in almost all categories:
As this Phillies-Padres series begins, Bryce Harper’s OPS is 96 points higher than Manny Machado’s. Harper’s OPS is 94 points higher over the last 5 years. Machado hasn’t done much hitting yet at San Diego’s pitcher-friendly park.
— Corey Seidman (@CSeidmanNBCS) June 3, 2019
- In three career at-bats against Lauer, Harper has logged a single and solo home run; Phillies leadoff batter Andrew McCutchen, meanwhile, is 5-for-8 against the right-hander with a triple, RBI, and walk. Sean Rodriguez will start in left, batting eighth; he is 2-for-2 against Lauer with a double and RBI. Machado is hitless in six career at-bats opposite Nola with a walk and two strikeouts (click to expand).
What's Next:
- Tuesday, June 4, 2019: at San Diego Padres, 10:10 p.m.
- Petco Park, San Diego, Calif.
- RHP Jerad Eickhoff (2-3, 4.10 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Paddack (4-3, 2.40 ERA)
- TV: NBCSP; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
