Philadelphia opens a four-game set tonight in Arizona with right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. set to make his first major league start. The Phillies downed the St. Louis Cardinals yesterday to snap a five-game skid, though the club has lost eight of its last 10.
Leiter Jr., 26, has appeared in 12 games out of the bullpen for the Phillies this year, posting a 4.74 ERA. The Diamondbacks counter with lefty Patrick Corbin who is 6-6 with a 5.19 ERA. He allowed four runs in six innings against the Phillies last week.
Tonight's contest in Arizona is the first of a nine-game swing for the Phillies that includes stops in Seattle and New York before returning home for the July 4th holiday.
"It's a tough stretch, no doubt about it," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It's always a tough trip when you head out west for a bit."
The Diamondbacks swept the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park last week.
Neshek Notes
Pat Neshek had another scoreless appearance Thursday, his 30th in 31 tries. Some communication issues arose following the contest as Neshek and Mackanin differed on whether he was asked to pitch another inning, but that's a trivial issue in the bigger picture. Right now, Neshek is the best reliever in the National League and is certain to be moved to a contender come the trade deadline.
Fien to the DL
Right-handed reliever Casey Fien was placed on the 10-day DL with a right rotator cuff strain. Fien allowed two homers, five runs and six hits to the Cardinals in two-thirds of an inning Tuesday night. The move opened up a roster spot for Leiter Jr.
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Leiter Jr., 26, has appeared in 12 games out of the bullpen for the Phillies this year, posting a 4.74 ERA. The Diamondbacks counter with lefty Patrick Corbin who is 6-6 with a 5.19 ERA. He allowed four runs in six innings against the Phillies last week.
Tonight's contest in Arizona is the first of a nine-game swing for the Phillies that includes stops in Seattle and New York before returning home for the July 4th holiday.
"It's a tough stretch, no doubt about it," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It's always a tough trip when you head out west for a bit."
The Diamondbacks swept the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park last week.
Neshek Notes
Pat Neshek had another scoreless appearance Thursday, his 30th in 31 tries. Some communication issues arose following the contest as Neshek and Mackanin differed on whether he was asked to pitch another inning, but that's a trivial issue in the bigger picture. Right now, Neshek is the best reliever in the National League and is certain to be moved to a contender come the trade deadline.
Fien to the DL
Right-handed reliever Casey Fien was placed on the 10-day DL with a right rotator cuff strain. Fien allowed two homers, five runs and six hits to the Cardinals in two-thirds of an inning Tuesday night. The move opened up a roster spot for Leiter Jr.
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Follow Patrick on Twitter: @PGordonPBR
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