Phillies open six-game road trip with a pair in Baltimore

The Phillies take their winning ways to Baltimore tonight to open a quick two-game series before heading to Saint Louis for a four-game set. The weather tonight and tomorrow isn't ideal, so the potential is there that both of these games get washed out. Keep an eye on the radar. Nick Pivetta is set to be on the hill tonight.

The Orioles are an astonishing 15 1/2 games off the pace in the AL East and it's only mid-May. That's a tribute to the Red Sox and Yankees and how well they've played, but it's also a dig at the Orioles because at times this season they've looked downright awful.

Injury Update
Jerad Eickhoff struggled in a rehab start this morning with Double-A Reading, surrendering three runs on five hits over 3 1/3 innings. He surrendered a homer and struck out three. He's recovering from a lat strain and has yet to pitch for the Phillies this season.

The Streak
Odubel Herrera has reached base in 41 consecutive games. Only three players in franchise history have had a better streak and two - Chuck Klein and Mike Schmidt - are enshrined in Cooperstown.

His 1.8 WAR, according to Fangraphs, is tied for the third-highest mark in the National League while his 172 wRC+ is among the best in the majors.

The Bullpen
The Phillies enter play tonight with a bullpen that's well rested and performing quite well. A combined 3.71 ERA over the last two weeks is 12th best in baseball and a K/9 rate of 9.79 ranks third best in the National League.

Just for Fun

If you're a fan of HBO's series "VEEP" then you've probably seen the scene in an episode during the first season where Selena is at Camden Yards for a meeting with influencers about a healthy eating campaign. As part of the event, she meets and takes photos with several Orioles pitchers including Jake Arrieta and Tommy Hunter. Ironically, both now play for the Phillies.

Tonight's Starting Lineup
1. Hernandez, 4
2. Hoskins, DH
3. Herrera, 8
4. Santana, 3
5. Williams, 9
6. Franco, 5
7. Florimon, 6
8. Valentin, 7
9. Knapp, 2
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BY PATRICK GORDON
Managing Editor
pgordon@philadelphiabaseballreview.com