By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
For the first time in three years, the Philadelphia Phillies (45-37) will take on the MLB-worst Baltimore Orioles (24-59) at home. Right-handers Zach Eflin and Alex Cobb will square off in the first of a two-game set Tuesday evening at Citizens Bank Park. Eflin has won five straight starts, combining for a 1.76 ERA and 0.978 WHIP. Phillies trade candidate Manny Machado, meanwhile, will bat third for the Orioles as the starting shortstop.
Read: Phillies Brass Ties to Orioles Could Generate Machado, Britton Blockbuster
The Phillies secured the series victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday, edging their division rivals 4-3 in 13 innings. After falling behind 3-0, the Phillies rallied with three runs in the fifth. The game would remain notched at three until the bottom of the 13th, when catcher Andrew Knapp hit the Phillies' first walkoff home run since Ryan Howard in April 2016. Right-handed starter Nick Pivetta pitched an inning in relief and picked up his fifth win of the season.
The Phillies are 5-4 against American League opponents this season, and are 6-6 overall in games played on Tuesdays.
Starting Pitching Matchup:
| Baltimore Orioles (24-59) | Philadelphia Phillies (45-37) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP | Alex Cobb | RHP | Zach Eflin | ||
| (2-9, 6.75 ERA) | (6-2, 3.02 ERA) | ||||
RHP Alex Cobb, Age: 30
- 2018 vs. PHI: N/A
- Career vs. PHI: N/A
- Career at Citizens Bank Park: N/A
RHP Zach Eflin, Age: 24
- 2018 vs. BAL: N/A
- Career vs. BAL: N/A
- Career at Citizens Bank Park: 4-6, 4.76 ERA, 13 G, 13 GS, 79 1/3 IP, 79 H, 43 R, 42 ER, 16 HR, 17 BB, 66 SO, 1.210 WHIP
Starting Lineups:
| Baltimore Orioles (24-59) | Philadelphia Phillies (45-37) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Bats | Position | Player | Bats | ||
| 1 | 3B | Tim Beckham | R | 1 | 2B | Cesar Hernandez | S |
| 2 | CF | Adam Jones | R | 2 | LF | Rhys Hoskins | R |
| 3 | SS | Manny Machado | R | 3 | CF | Odubel Herrera | L |
| 4 | RF | Mark Trumbo | R | 4 | 1B | Carlos Santana | S |
| 5 | 1B | Chris Davis | L | 5 | RF | Nick Williams | L |
| 6 | LF | Trey Mancini | R | 6 | SS | Scott Kingery | R |
| 7 | 2B | Jonathan Schoop | R | 7 | C | Andrew Knapp | S |
| 8 | C | Chance Sisco | L | 8 | 3B | Maikel Franco | R |
| 9 | P | Alex Cobb | R | 9 | P | Zach Eflin | R |
Broadcast Information:
- First pitch: 7:05 p.m.
- TV: NBCSP
- Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
Game Notes:
- The Phillies hold a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second National League Wild Card spot. They trail the Atlanta Braves by 3 1/2 game in the division race.
- Both Phillies catchers, Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp, have five-game hitting streaks.
- The only Phillie to previously oppose Cobb is first baseman Carlos Santana. In 12 at-bats against the right-hander, Santana has two singles, one double, on walk and three strikeouts (.250/.357/.333).
What's Next:
Wednesday, July 4, 2018: vs. Baltimore Orioles, 4:05 p.m.
- Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pa.
- RHP Yefry Ramirez (0-1, 2.89 ERA) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (10-2, 2.48 ERA)
- TV: NBCSP, ESPN; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
