FRIDAY FIRST 5 INNINGS PLAY (YTD 22-15)

jimmythegreek

The opening odds start here
Philadelphia/Toronto over 4.5 -120:
The Phillies (69-58) ended a 4 game losing streak and avoided getting swept by Washington yesterday afternoon with a 2-0 win at Nationals Park. Odubel Herrera provided all of the offense with a 2 run HR in the top of the 7th to break a scoreless tie. Aaron Nola (15-3) pitched 8 shutout innings allowing just 5 hits walking one and striking out 9. Matt Scherzer took the hard luck loss falling to 16-6 despite giving up just 2 runs on 2 hits over 7 innings walking 4 and striking out 10. Philadelphia heads into tonight's action trailing first place Atlanta by 3 games in the NL East and travels to Toronto (58-69), who has won 3 straight coming off a sweep of Baltimore including a 6-0 blanking of the O's Wednesday night. Devon Travis crushed his 10th HR of the season, a 3 run shot while Kendrys Morales also went deep, a solo shot which was his 18th. Thomas Pannone picked up his first win hurling 7 shutout innings of one hit ball with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. David Hess allowed only a run on 3 hits over 7 solid innings, but took the loss to fall to 2-8 before the bullpen imploded.

Toronto sends Ryan Borucki (2-3 4.27) to the mound this evening who couldn't get past the first inning from his last start against the Yankees. In a 10-2 loss to the Bronx Bombers, the 24 year old rookie southpaw lasted just 2/3 of an inning and yielded 6 runs on 4 hits walking 2 batters. Borucki faces a Phillies lineup batting just .236 overall averaging 4.3 runs per contest 6th in the NL with 149 HR. Rhys Hoskins (.252 25 77) leads the fightin' Phils in power and production despite being mired in a 2 for 18 slump (.111) over the last 5 games. Maikel Franco (.279 21 64) is having an all around solid season leading the club in hitting and well on pace to eclipsing his 2016 career highs. Herrera (.266 20 64) is just 4 for his last 24 (.167) over his last 8 games but is putting up a career campaign with 35 games remaining. Asdrubal Cabrera (.262 20 67) was a key pick up from the Mets just after the ASB, and is well within reach of his 2011 career highs in HR and RBI. Wilson Ramos (.303 14 57) was also a key acquisition from Tampa and has hit safely in 7 of his last 8 games (.429).

Philadelphia counters with Jake Arrieta (9-8 3.25) who has been somewhat of a jeckyl and hyde type pitcher record wise though you wouldn't know it by his ERA. The former Cub and 9 year right handed veteran has dropped his last 2 decisions, albeit looking relatively sharp in his last start. Arrieta surrendered just a run on 4 hits over 6 innings with 6 strikeouts while not walking a batter losing a 3-1 pitcher's dual to Jason DeGrom. he faces a Blue Jays lineup batting .244 averaging about 4.5 runs per contest 5th in the AL with 171 HR. Justin Smoak (.253 19 61) has been just a shell of himself compared to his 2017 career highs, and is currently mired in a 4 for 28 (.143) slump over the last week. Morales (.260 18 48) has homered 5 times over his last 4 games and carries a 7 game hitting streak (.591) into tonight's action. Teoscar Hernandez (.239 18 45) like Herrera, is just 4 for his last 24 (.167) but has put up productive numbers in this just his 3rd season in the big leagues. Yangervis Solarte (.233 17 53) is on pace to put up career highs in HR and RBI, but by overall standards is having a subpar season at the plate not able to take advantage of opportunities to bring in runs nor get on base. Father time has certainly caught up to Curtis Granderson (.242 11 37) in his 15th season, though he has 8 hits in his last 22 at bats (.364).

We get a fairly expensive price this evening at Rogers Centre, a venue formerly known as the SkyDome that provides favorable dimensions to the hitters at just 328 to the corners, 375 to the power alleys, and 400 straight away. Arrieta has been victimized by a lack of run support this season especially when he is sharp and could probably turn 3 of those losses or no-decisions into wins. Other times he has not lasted past the 4th or 5th inning not wanting to be overworked by Gabe Kapler. Borucki has potential to be a future star with the Jays, but needs to gain more quality experience which will come with subsuquent years and starts progressing. We look to end a 3 game losing streak tonight to try and get back on the winning track and to move back over 60% overall. Best of luck however you play!
 

jimmythegreek

The opening odds start here
An RBI single by Lourdes Gurriel cashes this one in the bottom of the 5th and ends this 3 game losing streak. Thanks and congrats to all that followed!
 
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