Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph is on an upswing, slamming his fourth homer of the month Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader with Washington.
“I feel more comfortable than I did,” Joseph said. “I’m putting myself in better positions, better counts. I’ve been doing a better job of elevating the ball.”
Jerad Eickhoff will get the start on the mound tonight for the Phillies. The right-hander is 0-3 with a 4.76 ERA. He has really struggled as of late. In his last three starts, Eickhoff is 0-2 with an ERA of 8.40. His last start was one one of the worst of his career. He allowed five runs on eight hits in just 3 2/3 innings in a 10-9 loss to Seattle at Citizens Bank Park.
This will be Eickhoff’s first-ever appearance against his former organization. He was acquired in 2015 as part of the Cole Hamels trade.
Texas is 19-20 on the season and tied for second in the American League West. The Rangers will start right-hander Yu Darvish tonight. He is 3-2 and his earned run average is 2.96 ERA. he has never faced the Phillies.
The Rangers have struggled at the plate, hitting just .227 on the season with a 23.2% strikeout rate. Their bullpen has sputtered too, pitching to a 5.10 ERA.
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