The Philadelphia Phillies (55-47) will be going for their third consecutive win when they face the Pittsburgh Pirates (45-57) in the first game of their three-game series on Friday night.
Zack Wheeler, 7-5, 3.88 ERA, will get the start for the Phillies. The Pirates will counter with Mitch Keller, 9-6, 4.01 ERA.
Philadelphia is 8-2 in its last 10 games against Pittsburgh.
The Phillies played well over the past week and they’ve won three of their last four games. They will try to keep the momentum going with a win over the Pirates, which will give them their third win in a row and fourth win in their last five games.
Philadelphia is averaging 4.49 runs per game. Their .256 batting average is 10th in the league. Their .319 on base percentage is 14th, while their .415 slugging percentage is 11th.
Bryson Stott leads the Phillies with a .300 batting average, while Kyle Schwarber leads the team with 26 home runs and 62 RBI.
Philadelphia’s pitching has been good, with the team giving up 4.39 runs per game. Opponents have a .241 batting average against the Phillies, which is eighth in the league. Their 4.04 ERA is 12th, while their 1.24 WHIP is fifth.
< p>In his last start, Wheeler gave up five hits and one run in seven innings, leading to a 1-0 loss to Cleveland. They will need a similar effort from him and more runs if they want to get the win.