Phillies (28-53) vs. Pirates (37-46)
4:10 p.m. on CSN; streaming live on CSNPhilly.com and the NBC Sports App
Aaron Nola, Freddy Galvis and Maikel Franco provided the fireworks Monday night and the Phillies will look to keep the momentum going against the Pirates on Independence Day.
Here are five things to watch for during Tuesday's matchup:
1. If you start me up I'll never stop
The Phillies are finally getting what they expected from their starting pitching, but not necessarily from likely sources.
Nola's success is far from a surprise. He was tremendous Monday and has been over his last three starts. The former seventh overall pick is 3-0 with a 1.27 ERA. A nice development for the future is that Nola is missing bats but not losing command. He has 25 strikeouts and seven walks in 21 1/3 innings over his last three starts.
The strong outings from young pitchers Nick Pivetta and Ben Lively have stood out. After both pitchers were rocked against the hard-hitting Diamondbacks, both hurlers bounced back against the Mets. Lively gave up just two earned runs over 6 1/3 in a 2-1 loss. Pivetta was even more impressive allowing just one run on one hit over seven innings in a 7-1 win.
Next up is Mark Leiter Jr. The 26-year-old righty got roughed up a bit in his second big league start against the Mariners but was strong in his MLB debut against Arizona the week prior. If Leiter Jr. has shown one thing in his two starts it's that he is poised and not easily rattled on the mound. The hope is he bounces back like his young counterparts.
MLB
2. Shot of Jameson
Jameson Taillon is the best story in baseball this season. Back in May, Taillon was diagnosed with testicular cancer. After having surgery, Taillon was back on the mound five weeks later.
"I've had a lot of time to think," Taillon, 25, said to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It's pretty natural to ask something like, 'Why me?' Almost in a selfish way. 'Why did this have to happen to me? Other stuff has happened too. I deserve a break.' But life doesn't really care what's happened to you."
Taillon, a highly touted prospect, and former No. 2 overall pick, has been impressive since his return. In four starts, he's 3-1 with a 2.42 ERA. Taillon mainly throws his sinker which rests in the mid-90s, according to Brooks Baseball. He also features a four-seam fastball in the same range. Offspeed wise, he'll mostly throw his curve but will mix in a changeup.
Taillon has faced the Phillies just once back in 2016. He gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits over six innings in a no-decision. Odubel Herrera and Andres Blanco both tagged him for homers.
3. Come to papa
Galvis had quite the 24 hours. Galvis and his wife Ana welcomed their second child, Nicole, at 5:53 a.m. Monday morning. On Monday night, Galvis belted a two-run, 417-foot homer into the second deck. That was all the run support Nola would need.
At the beginning of the season, everyone wondered how long Galvis would be able to stave off top prospect J.P. Crawford. As Crawford has struggled at Triple A, Galvis has flourished with the big club. Galvis is hitting .253 with eight homers and 33 RBIs. That and his .300 OBP aren't eye-popping, but when you consider that he's also playing Gold-Glove caliber defense at a premium position, Galvis is a solid pro.
A move to the two hole has seemed to spark Galvis' offensive production. In 20 games batting second this season, Galvis is hitting .309 with two homers and eight RBIs. Seven of his 25 hits from that spot have gone for extra bases.
4. Oh, what a relief it is
Much like their starting pitching, the Phillies thought their bullpen would be a strength coming in. That hasn't been the case until recently.
Pat Neshek, who was roughed up for three runs in his last outing against the Mets has been outstanding. The Phillies' lone All-Star representative, Neshek has a microscopic 1.39 ERA in 32 1/3 innings.
Phils' closer — for now — Hector Neris was dominant in 2016 but has been inconsistent in 2017. In his last five outings, however, he's been lights out. The hard-throwing righty hasn't given up a run or a hit or walked a single batter over his last five innings while striking out seven.
Veteran Joaquin Benoit was signed to add stability to the backend of the bullpen. The ageless righty also struggled out of the gate, but has been solid over his last five appearances. He hasn't give up a run and has surrendered just one hit in his last 4 1/3 innings.
And how about the job Luis Garcia has done? Garcia always had big league stuff but has never been able to put it all together. Since a brutal outing in Atlanta back on June 7, Garcia has been excellent in his last eight appearances. The 30-year-old righty has pitched to a 0.93 ERA in that span. Opponents are hitting just .129 off him in his last 9 2/3. He's struck out 11 while, more importantly, walking just three hitters.
5. This and that
• Rookie Nick Williams is 5 of 14 since his call up. He earned his first big league extra-base hit with a hustling double Monday night.
• Andrew McCutchen has found his stroke. Since June 1, the former NL MVP has hit .398 with 14 extra-base hits and has walked (19) more than he's struck out (15).
• Jerad Eickhoff (upper back strain) will make a minor-league rehab start for Double A Reading on Tuesday night in Trenton.