Phillies (51-78) vs. Padres (62-66)
7:05 p.m. on CSN
Aaron Nola looked just like a stopper Friday and Cameron Rupp continued to back him as the Phillies snapped a four-game losing skid with a 7-1 win over the San Diego Padres.
Nola tossed seven innings of two-hit, one-run ball to improve to 5-1, while Rupp blasted a hanging breaking ball for a three-run homer, his seventh long ball of the season. In games started by Nola, Rupp is 9 for 28 (.321) with five homers and 13 RBIs.
He'll likely be behind the plate tonight when Adam Morgan (4-4, 4.43 ERA) toes the rubber for the Phillies in Game 2 of their three-game series with the Padres at Citizens Bank Park. Morgan will be opposed by fellow rookie Colin Rea (2-1, 5.52 ERA).
Here are five things you need to know for the game:
1. August e-Rupp-tion
With all the hype surrounding catching prospects Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp, Rupp has quietly put together an impressive August and a 10-game hitting streak.
This month, Rupp is batting .340 with six homers and 16 RBIs in 14 games. And over his current 10-game spree, he's hitting .412.
MLB
Now, Alfaro and Knapp are without a doubt the future backstops of the Phillies, but Rupp is making a case for significant playing time next season while those two develop.
It would make sense for Rupp to start tonight with the veteran Carlos Ruiz catching Alec Asher's debut Sunday, as Rupp has caught nine of Morgan's 11 starts this season.
2. Morgan up next
You better bet Morgan is determined to go deep in this one.
Last time out, the 25-year-old relinquished a 7-2 lead en route to a 16-7 loss to the Mets, kick-starting a nightmare series for the Phillies and their rotation. Morgan was coming off a stretch of three straight quality starts, so here's his chance to get back on track and follow suit of Nola.
Keep an eye on the fifth inning. It's typically where the opposition starts to see the pitcher the third time around, and it's the inning that's bit Morgan. In that frame, he has a 9.72 ERA and .364 opponents' batting average — both his worst marks of any inning.
If Morgan can get over that fifth-inning hump, he's in good shape.
3. More from Altherr?
It'll be interesting to see how the Phillies divvy up playing time the rest of the season between their crowded outfield.
On Friday night, recent call-up Aaron Altherr started over Domonic Brown against a right-hander in which Brown had a homer off of in his career.
It was a clear sign the Phillies want to see more of Altherr. As we noted pregame Friday, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said to reporters last week in Miami that Brown's "gotten enough reps that we have a pretty good idea what he can do."
Altherr took advantage of the nod Friday. He made a sparkling diving catch, hit an RBI triple and scored two runs. His first seven hits have gone for extra bases, making him the first Phillies player to start his career with seven extra-base knocks since 1900 (when Elias Sports Bureau began keeping track).
The Phillies have to like what they see thus far. How often they start Altherr over Brown and others is worth watching moving forward.
4. Scouting Rea
Rea is a 25-year-old rookie making his fourth big-league start and first away from pitcher-friendly Petco Park.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound right-hander was a 12th-round draft pick of the Padres in 2011. Prior to this season, he had never pitched above High A ball, and after 18 starts between Double A and Triple A, San Diego called him up.
Rea throws a wide variety of pitches, featuring a 93-mph four-seam fastball, 93-mph sinker, 80-mph curveball, 87-mph cutter and 82-mph changeup. His sinker and curveball are his best secondary pitches, but he uses all four equally.
5. This and that
• The Phillies have lost just one series to the Padres since 2009.
• The Padres own an MLB-worst .298 on-base percentage.
• Cesar Hernandez is 3 for his last 30 (.100) with 12 strikeouts.