The Philadelphia Phillies (86-73) will be trying to secure a playoff spot when they face the Houston Astros (104-55) in the second game of their three-game series on Tuesday night.
Ranger Suarez, 10-6, 3.37 ERA, will get the start for the Phillies. The Astros will counter with Justin Verlander, 17-4, 1.80 ERA.
Houston and Philadelphia split their last 10 meetings.
**This preview was written before Monday’s game was played**
The Phillies have played well since they snapped their five-game losing streak, winning three of their last four games. They have a two-game lead over Milwaukee in the Wildcard standings and will try to lock up the final Wildcard spot with a win over the AL-leading Astros, which will give them their fourth win in their last five games.
Philadelphia is averaging 4.67 runs per game. Their .255 batting average is seventh in the league. Their .318 on base percentage is eighth, while their .424 slugging percentage is fifth.
Alec Bohm leads Philadelphia with a .282 batting average, while Kyle Schwarber leads the team with 44 home runs and 92 RBI.
Philadelphia’s pitching has been good, with the team giving up 4.23 runs per game. Opponents have a .244 batting average against the Phillies, which is 15th in the league. Their 3.96 ERA is 17th , while their 1.25 WHIP is 14th.
In his last start, Suarez gave up seven hits and two runs in six innings, leading to a 2-0 loss to the Cubs. They will need another solid start from him if they want to win this game.