Zach Eflin vs. Aaron Nola: Phillies bring 9-game road win streak into game vs. former teammate
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (CBS/AP) -- The Phillies' nine-game road winning streak heads to Tampa on the Fourth of July, with a familiar face on the mound for the American League-best Rays. Former Phillies starter Zach Eflin will start against Aaron Nola in Tuesday's series opener.
Eflin is 9-3 with a 3.29 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 91 strikeouts in his first season with Tampa.
The righty signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Rays in the winter. The deal is the largest free-agent contract in Tampa's history.
The Phillies acquired Eflin in the Jimmy Rollins trade in 2014 and the righty spent seven seasons with the team.
Here's what to know about Tuesday's Phillies-Rays game.
Phillies (44-39) vs. Rays (57-30)
Start time: 4:10 p.m. in St. Petersburg, Florida.
FanDuel Sportsbook MLB line: Rays -142, Phillies +121; over/under is 8 runs
Bottom line: The Philadelphia Phillies hit the road against the Tampa Bay Rays looking to continue a nine-game road winning streak.
Tampa Bay has a 57-30 record overall and a 34-10 record in home games. Rays hitters have a collective .336 on-base percentage, the second-ranked percentage in the AL.
Philadelphia has a 22-23 record in road games and a 44-39 record overall. Phillies pitchers have a collective 4.16 ERA, which ranks seventh in the NL.
Tuesday's game is the first time these teams meet this season.
Top performers: Wander Franco has 21 doubles, four triples and nine home runs for the Rays. Yandy Diaz is 16-for-37 with two doubles over the last 10 games.
Alec Bohm has 13 doubles, nine home runs and 54 RBI for the Phillies. Nick Castellanos is 13-for-41 with three doubles and four home runs over the last 10 games.
Last 10 games: Rays: 5-5, .267 batting average, 4.97 ERA, outscored opponents by 11 runs
Phillies: 6-4, .265 batting average, 3.07 ERA, outscored opponents by 21 runs
Injuries: Rays: Isaac Paredes: day-to-day (rib), Shane McClanahan: 15-Day IL (back), Josh Fleming: 60-Day IL (elbow), Brandon Lowe: 10-Day IL (leg), Drew Rasmussen: 60-Day IL (flexor), Garrett Cleavinger: 60-Day IL (knee), Jeffrey Springs: 60-Day IL (elbow), Shane Baz: 60-Day IL (elbow), Andrew Kittredge: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Phillies: Seranthony Dominguez: 15-Day IL (oblique), Noah Song: 60-Day IL (back), Rhys Hoskins: 60-Day IL (acl)
