That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

Phillies vs Blue Jays Home-and-Home Series Preview

By Matt Veasey

May 27, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays mascot Ace waves a Blue Jays flag during the seventh inning stretch during MLB game action against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports
May 27, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays mascot Ace waves a Blue Jays flag during the seventh inning stretch during MLB game action against the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Apr 30, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Happ (33) throws a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Happ (33) throws a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

MONDAY: Jerad Eickhoff (3-8, 3.68 ERA) vs R.A. Dickey (4-6, 4.15 ERA): Dickey is a 41-year old right-handed knuckleballer in his 14th MLB season who won the 2012 NL Cy Young Award while with the New York Mets. He was sent to the Jays immediately following that season as part of a 7-player package that included Noah Syndergaard going to the Big Apple. Dickey is having a typical up-n-down season. He was horrible during April, but pitched well in May. Now he is coming off a poor outing at Detroit. Eickhoff is coming off perhaps his best outing of the season in a win over the tough Chicago Cubs.

TUESDAY: Zach Eflin (MLB debut) vs Marcus Stroman (5-2, 4.94 ERA): Stroman is a talented 25-year old righty who has largely struggled this year in his first full season back following knee surgery in May of 2015. Over his last five starts in particular, Stroman has bombed in four of them. He has allowed 25 earned runs and 44 hits over 29.2 innings with just a 16/11 K:BB ratio in that time. The 22-year old Eflin has risen incrementally through each level of the minors, including over the last two seasons at Reading and Lehigh Valley with the Phillies after coming in the December 2014 trade with the LA Dodgers for Jimmy Rollins. This will be his well-deserved big league debut.

WEDNESDAY: Jeremy Hellickson (4-4, 4.34 ERA) vs Marco Estrada (4-2, 2.57 ERA): Estrada has been Toronto’s best starting pitcher by far this season. The 32-year old righty has a 2.57 ERA, 1.004 WHIP, a 71/33 K:BB ratio, and has allowed just 48 hits over 80.2 innings. You read that correctly, and it is not a typo. Only 48 hits allowed. Hellickson was crushed in Washington over the weekend and now has back-to-back sub par efforts after being largely effective for most of the first two months. Can he get himself back on track, and return to being a valuable trade chip?

THURSDAY: Aaron Nola (5-5, 2.98 ERA) vs J.A. Happ (7-3, 3.70 ERA): You remember the now 33-year old left-hander Happ, don’t you Phils fans? The Phillies 3rd round pick in the 2004 MLB Amateur Draft went 14-5 over five seasons here in Philly before being dealt to Houston in the July 2010 trade for Roy Oswalt. Two seasons later, again as the trade deadline approached, Houston dealt him to Toronto. Happ is having a fine season, with a 7-3 record and having allowed 74 hits in 82.2 innings. Nola has been the Phillies best starter, but was roughed up by the Nationals this weekend.

Next: PHILLIES KEYS TO VICTORY VS BLUE JAYS

Home/Phillies News