Phillies (43-49) vs. Mets (48-42)
1:35 p.m. on CSN
The Phillies are in the win column for the first time in the second half after a 4-2 win over the New York Mets on Saturday night (see game story), and on Sunday afternoon, they'll look to take their first series of the second half.
Zack Eflin will take the mound for the Phils after a string of strong starts to close the first half and will be opposed by the Mets' Jacob deGrom.
Here are five things to know for Sunday's ballgame.
1. A star is born
Odubel Herrera was the Phillies' lone representative in last Tuesday's All-Star Game, but Herrera isn't the only player taking the next step toward a bright future in Philadelphia.
Don't look now, but Maikel Franco is tearing up the ball just like he did last season (see story).
Just 23 years old until late August, Franco still has plenty of time to develop, but what he has done already is something the Phillies would sign up for on a consistent basis. Last season, his numbers projected to a full season came pretty close to 30 home runs and 100 RBIs, something Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt proclaimed was in store for Franco's future.
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Well, the future may have come pretty early. Sure, Franco's slugging numbers and on-base percentage are down slightly from last season, but he is still, by any measure, a well above average hitter. His 18 home runs and 53 RBIs lead the Phillies and put him pretty close to a 30/100 pace that seems to be just the tip of his destiny.
And July just so happens to be his best month yet. In 48 at-bats this month, he has 19 hits, good for a .396 batting average. He already has five homers, tied for his most in a month this year despite there being two weeks left and the four days off for the All-Star game.
Think about it: He's getting a hit nearly 40 percent of the time, a home run every 10 at-bats or so and an RBI per game.
2. deGromination?
It's been well detailed how much the Mets' rotation has struggled with injuries in recent weeks, but one constant has been Jacob deGrom.
deGrom hasn't missed a beat this year despite having to worry about serious medical issues involving his newborn in April. (Thankfully, Jaxon deGrom is perfectly fine now.) Possibly the least heralded of the Mets' rotation of potential aces, the 28-year-old Florida native has been remarkably consistent to his 2015 performance.
Last year, he had a 2.54 ERA with 205 strikeouts and just 38 walks in 191 innings. This year, his strikeout and walk rates are a tad worse, but he still has a 2.61 ERA through 93 innings while fanning 91. The numbers also look basically the same as his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2014.
The Phillies are 0-6 in games deGrom has started against them, including the Mets' home opener this year. In that game, he gave up just one run over six innings while striking out six.
One note of optimism for Phillies fans: Arguably the worst start of deGrom's career came at Citizens Bank Park last August. He allowed seven runs —six earned — while recording just eight outs, but the Mets homered their way to victory.
3. On point
What fans wouldn't give to take away Eflin's MLB debut from his ERA and other totals. It'd make his numbers look as impressive as he's been, similar to how taking away a college student's freshman GPA can do wonders for his transcript.
Looking at the basics, he's 2-2 with a 4.08 ERA. Nothing special, but not bad for someone just six starts into his career. If you look at just his five starts against non-world beating Blue Jays squads, he's 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA.
His peripherals leave something to be desired, though. He strikes out just over 4.5 batters per nine innings, although he does limit walks. His lack of strikeouts haven't hurt him thus far, particularly because he's induced plenty of weak contact, stifling strong offenses like the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies (at Coors Field) along the way.
Eflin will need to keep the ball in the ballpark, which is no easy task against the homer-happy Mets at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday. He's allowed just one home run at CBP in two starts, but hitters like Curtis Granderson, Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walker can certainly make the rookie pay for any mistakes.
4. Players to watch
Phillies: Whomever starts at first base is a strong bet to get the Phils going on Sunday. Ryan Howard has two home runs in 17 at-bats against deGrom, while Tommy Joseph has had a strong July after a weak end to June.
Mets: One can't get through this series without mentioning how the Mets shamelessly brought back Jose Reyes fresh off his suspension for domestic violence. Reyes has moved into the leadoff spot and had a hit and stolen base Saturday.
5. This and that
• Carlos Ruiz is 1 for 9 with two strikeouts against deGrom, while Cameron Rupp is 1 for 3 with a home run, a walk and two strikeouts.
• Franco is 0 for 3 against deGrom in their only meeting. Herrera is 3 for 11 with an RBI.
• A win Sunday would give the Phillies a one-game edge in the season series with the Mets. They haven't won this head-to-head matchup for an entire season since 2011.
• deGrom is 3-0 with a 3.03 ERA in 35⅔ innings against the Mets. He's struck out 37 Phillies' batters.
• Mets closer Jeurys Familia has a 3.38 ERA in 26 games against the Phillies, his worst ERA against an NL East opponent and second worst among teams he's faced at least 10 times.
