Series Preview Phillies & Athletics, Pitching Duels ~ Philadelphia Baseball Review

The Phillies will close the first half of the regular season with a weekend series against the Oakland Athletics that begins Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. On Thursday, the Phillies won three games against the Dodgers to extend their lead in the NL East to 9 1/2 games over the Atlanta Braves, who have lost two games in a row.

Where: Citizens Bank Park, Tuesday through Thursday.

Pitching duels and starting times: LHP Ranger Suarez (10-3, 2.58) vs. LHP Higan Harris (1-3, 3.22) on Friday, RHP Tyler Phillips (0-0, 2.25) vs. RHP Mitch Spence (5-5, 4.29) on Saturday and TBD vs. RHP Joey Estes (3-4, 5.53) on Sunday.

Series: The two teams have not met this season. Overall, the Phillies lead the series 13-11.

Athletics Update (35-60): The Athletics come to Philly having lost two of three games in Boston while also boasting the second-worst road record in baseball (13-35). The club will be sellers at the trade deadline and the Phillies have their eye on reliever Mason Miller, according to sources. Miller was named to the All-Star Game and has a 2.33 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 68 strikeouts and 15 saves in 38.2 innings this year. He has been one of the few bright spots for a struggling organization and is only 25 years old and in his second season in the league.

Phillies Update (61-32): The Phillies announced the release of Whit Merrifield on Friday afternoon. The 35-year-old Merrifield played in 53 games for the Phillies, including 20 in left field, 12 at second base and eight at third base. He had a batting average of .199/.277/.295 with four doubles, one triple, three home runs, 11 RBIs, 15 walks and 21 runs in 174 at-bats. The Phillies signed the veteran last offseason for $8 million.

Next: The Phillies have a day off on Monday before opening a three-game series with the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park.