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Phillies look to continue mini-roll vs. Braves

PHILADELPHIA -- Two teams will meet at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday night with vastly different levels of momentum when the Philadelphia Phillies continue a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves.

The Phillies (7-9), winners in three of their last four after a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, are fresh off a series win in New York against the Mets and have an offense that's starting to click.

In the last four games, Philadelphia has scored 20 runs and is hitting .274.

Atlanta (6-10) started a three-game series at home against Washington Tuesday night riding a five-game winning streak. The Braves will head into Saturday losers off four straight.

Left-hander Jamie Garcia (0-1, 4.67 ERA) gets the start for the Braves against right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (0-1, 2.75) of the Phillies.

Throughout his career, Garcia has 10 games (eight starts) against the Phillies on his ledger. He is 3-4 with a 2.82 ERA and 42 strikeouts across 51 innings pitched. The 2.82 ERA is the best mark Garcia has against opponents which he's pitched at least 50 innings against.

Eickhoff has faced the Braves six times -- all in starts -- and has compiled a 2-1 record in 35 innings pitched. He has a 1.54 ERA with 24 strikeouts against seven walks in those games.

Eickhoff will be hopeful to get more run support in his start Saturday and beyond. The Phillies have scored just seven runs in his three starts so far in 2017.

The Phillies have been swinging the bats well in recent games, even with Howie Kendrick (oblique) out of the lineup. Kendrick, meanwhile, may be out longer than the Phillies originally thought. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said an MRI revealed Kendrick had a grade one strain of the anterior margin of his right exterior oblique. Kendrick, who was put on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday and is hitting .333 in 39 at-bats, may miss two weeks. But Mackanin said they're taking it day-by-day.

Mackanin said he's viewing it as an opportunity to get Aaron Altherr and Daniel Nava more at-bats. Altherr, who batted second in the order Friday, is 5-for-12 with four runs scored and two RBI over the last three games.

"We're going to miss (Kendrick) -- we already miss him -- but it is good to get the other guys at-bats," Mackanin said. "And they are both swinging the bats well."

Swinging the bats well is one thing Atlanta isn't doing well right now, save for slugger Freddie Freeman. Freeman belted his seventh home run of the season Friday night, but the RBI total of nine on his stat line is a staggering number. Simply put, the players in front of him aren't getting on base enough.

Braves manager Brian Snitker shuffled the lineup a bit and got rookie Dansby Swanson out of the No. 2 spot in the order for the first time all year Friday. He slotted Swanson ninth and put Adonis Garcia in the two hole behind leadoff hitter Ender Inciarte.

With Swanson given the night off Thursday night, Garcia batted second that night, as well.

On Friday, Garcia went 2-for-4 with a home run and a pair of RBI.

"He had a good night," Snitker said of Garcia. "I kind of like what I saw (Thursday) from him. If we can get him going that's going to help our offensive production."

"I just kind of feel like we're a tick away from something really good happening."

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