Red Sox vs Philadelphia Phillies Series Preview: Home-and-home

Jun 9, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (19) hits an RBI single during the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 9, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (19) hits an RBI single during the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
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Apr 3, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; A general view of Fenway Park during the fifth inning of the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 3, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; A general view of Fenway Park during the fifth inning of the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Series Notes

More from Red Sox News

  • This series marks the return of inter-league play to Fenway Park. Boston opened the season hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates and wrapped up the month of April with the Chicago Cubs coming to town. A National League team hasn’t come to Fenway since. Boston is 5-1 at home against the NL this season. They are also 3-2 on the road in NL ballparks.
  • Boston’s bullpen enters the series third in the AL with a 3.10 ERA. One of the keys to their success it that they’ve pitched the fewest innings at 186 this season. Having starters capable of logging heavy innings helps reduce the workload on the relievers to keep them fresh. It also prevents them from needing to rely on the weaker options in the bullpen in meaningful spots.
  • The Red Sox still aren’t piling up home runs, yet they remain a top-five offense based in large part to their success with runners in scoring position. Boston’s lineup is hitting .284 with an .819 OPS with RISP, both of which rank third in the league. They also have 30 doubles in those situations, putting them behind only Detroit in the AL.
  • Philadelphia’s Jerad Eickhoff is the only major league pitcher to make at least 12 starts and remain without a win this season. Every other pitcher to make at least 12 starts has at least two wins. It’s no surprise then to find that Eickhoff has received abysmal run support. He’s done himself no favors by pitching poorly but his offense has been no help, providing the second lowest run support at 2.83 per game.
  • Right around the same time these teams take the field for Monday night’s game, the MLB Draft will also begin. Click here for details on where the Red Sox will be making their selections!

Schedule