Phils hope bullpen can replicate magic vs. Brewers
The Philadelphia Phillies will be looking for their third consecutive victory when they visit the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
The Phillies' bullpen stepped up to throw six scoreless innings Friday in the team's 6-4 win in the series opener. Jerad Eickhoff lasted only three innings, but five relievers combined for 10 strikeouts and just one walk.
Philadelphia will hand the ball to right-hander Jake Arrieta on Saturday. Arrieta, the 2015 National League Cy Young winner, is 4-4 with a 3.77 ERA.
In Arrieta's last outing, he tossed six strong innings and gave up just one run in Philadelphia's 5-4, 10-inning win against the Chicago Cubs on Monday.
"He was huge for us," Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto said after Arrieta's last start. "His stuff is electric. Even when guys got out there and runners are in scoring position, that's when he's at his best."
Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said that he was especially impressed with Arrieta's maturity and poise.
"I thought he handled the emotions really well," Kapler told reporters. "I thought he was in control of the game even when we were down. He maintained his poise and got stronger as the outing went on."
Jean Segura singled in Friday's win and will attempt to push his hitting streak to 16 on Saturday.
The Phillies will enter this game above .500 on the road at 12-11. They have also won seven of their last 10 road games after starting the season 5-8 away from home.
In addition, the Phillies will be looking to push their record to a season-high 10 games above .500. Their current 30-21 record is also a season best.
The Brewers will look to even the series when they give the ball to Jhoulys Chacin. Through 10 starts this season, Chacin is 3-5 with a 4.65 ERA. However, he owns a 2.45 ERA in 22 innings over his past four starts.
In Chacin's last start on May 17, he gave up eight hits and three runs in five innings in a 12-8 loss at Atlanta.
Even when Chacin has struggled, he has maintained a positive attitude.
"Whoever gets the big hit, that's the team that wins," Chacin told reporters. "It's still early in the season and we've still got a lot of games left."
Chacin is 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA in nine career appearances (seven starts) against the Phillies. Arrieta has an 8-7 record with a 3.38 ERA in 18 career starts vs. Milwaukee.
The Brewers received a big lift on Friday with the return of All-Star Christian Yelich after a two-game absence caused by back spasms. Yelich responded with his 20th home run of the season, making him the fastest to the milestone this season.
It was Yelich's 16th home run at home. He also now has 42 RBI and nine stolen bases.
"It's something he's going to have to actively manage," Brewers manager Craig Counsell told reporters of Yelich's back issues. "But these are small little things that are costing him a day here and a day there. Not worrisome from my end, anyway."
--Field Level Media
