Right-hander Mason Miller pushed his scoreless innings streak to 33 2/3 on Thursday against the Rockies. He’s now tied with Cla Meredith for the franchise record. Miller will have a tough task this weekend in hitter-friendly Mexico City.
1. Phillies’ losing streak
The NL East is dealing with another winless run. First, it was the Mets, who lost a dozen in a row. Now, it’s the Phillies. The club has dropped nine straight after an extra-innings loss on Thursday against the Cubs. Chicago started the streak with a pair of wins in Philadelphia, then swept the team across four games at Wrigley Field this week. The Phillies started the season with a 6-4 record. They’ve gone 2-13 over the past 15 games. Philadelphia now takes on first-place Atlanta.
2. Mexico City matchup
Our first MLB World Tour series of the season will be this weekend. The Diamondbacks and Padres will face off for a two-game set at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú in Mexico City. With the stadium sitting well above sea level, offenses have seen a boost in past series at the venue. The Padres and Giants combined for 37 runs over two games in 2023. The Astros and Rockies put up 26 runs across a pair of matchups in 2024. German Marquez and Zac Gallen will square off on Saturday.
3. Phillips to retire as a Red
Second baseman Brandon Phillips will sign a one-day contract with Cincinnati today, the team announced. The three-time All-Star last played with the Red Sox in 2018. He’ll ink a ceremonial deal with the Reds to officially retire with the club. Phillips spent 11 of his 17 MLB seasons in Cincinnati. He was a steady contributor for a squad that was regularly in the postseason during the early 2010s. Phillips provided both power and speed at the top of Cincinnati’s lineup, delivering three consecutive 20/20 campaigns from 2007 to 2009. The first year in that run saw Phillips set career highs with 30 home runs and 32 steals. He finished his career with 211 home runs and 209 steals across 1,902 games.
Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images
