PREVIEW: Phillies Host Pirates in Key NL East Battle PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — The Philadelphia Phillies look to bounce back against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. EDT at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies (47-38) hold a four-game lead over the Pirates (43-42) in the National League wild-card race, but dropped the series opener 11-7 on Monday. Philadelphia leads the season series 3-1. Right fielder Brandon Marsh aims to continue his torrid stretch. Marsh went 2-for-5 with two home runs and two RBIs in Monday’s loss and is hitting .375 (10-for-27) with four homers over his last six games. He is questionable after being hit by a pitch in the ninth inning Monday. Pittsburgh catcher Endy Rodríguez has been the Pirates’ catalyst. Rodríguez went 2-for-3 with a homer and four RBIs on Monday, giving him multiple hits in three of his last four games. He is batting .316 (6-for-19) with two homers and seven RBIs over that span. The forecast calls for 87-degree temperatures with clouds. Philadelphia is the betting favorite at -1.5 on the run line. The over/under is 8 runs. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-5 Phillies victory. Pirates right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (5-4, 3.86 ERA) allowed five earned runs over six innings Monday against these same Phillies. Philadelphia has not announced its starter. The Pirates won four of their final five games before the All-Star break, with the offense averaging 6.8 runs. Right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez is 8-for-22 (.364) with three homers over his last six contests. The Phillies went 6-3 on their road trip, scoring 10 runs or more four times. Left-handed reliever Tim Mayza has not allowed an earned run in his last five appearances. Wednesday’s game kicks off a three-game set. Following this series, the Pirates head to Washington for four games, while the Phillies travel to Kansas City for three.