Blue Jays option Loup, Diamond to Buffalo

After splitting in Toronto, the Phillies and Blue Jays are in South Philadelphia tonight to begin another two-game series.

Eflin just turned 22 on April 8.

Asche led off the bottom of the second inning with a second-deck home run to right field tying the game at 1-1, answering Edwin Encarnacion’s blast from the half inning prior.

Estrada (5-2) improved to 4-0 with a 2.46 ERA over his last nine starts, going 6 2/3 innings and allowing two runs and four hits while striking out five and walking one.

This is the first time Eflin will take the hill this season. They’ve been a profitable play with Estrada on the hill, winning all five of his last five starts and going 6-1 in his last seven starts versus a team with a losing record. Still, the former first-round pick of the San Diego Padres found positives in the shelling. San Diego traded him to L.A.in a five-player deal in December 2014 that sent Yasmani Grandal to the Dodgers and Matt Kemp back to the Padres.

All the while, Stroman was setting down the Phillies quickly. 224 in 563 plate appearances in his lone season in Dodger Blue. But the Blue Jays ruthlessly demonstrated that the leap from the Lehigh Valley (Pa.) Ironpigs to the big leagues is a large one indeed.

Diamond, 29, had appeared in only a single game for Toronto, surrendering three earned runs in one inning. The Phillies wanted to see Eflin attack more this season with his four-seam fastball in an attempt to induce more swings-and-misses. They didn’t want him to always have to rely on groundballs to get himself out of jams.

The Phillies meanwhile have surprised a lot of people this season but have cooled off substantially of late and will look to regain that early season form behind a big outing from Nola. He also has a changeup, curveball and slider. 168 opponents’ batting average. 501 OPS against him. Cesar Hernandez homered for the Phillies (30-35), who have lost 14 of their past 18 games.

Asche knotted it with his second homer in the second, but the Jays assumed a 4-1 lead by scoring three times in the fourth. Ryan Howard reached double-digits with his 10th home run.

In the top of the sixth, Pedro Alvarez connected for a home run followed by another Davis home run in the seventh to make it a 5-5 tie. Blue Jays 4, Phillies 1. Both of those got exposed very prominently over the weekend against the Toronto Blue Jays.

It is a well known fact that the Orioles do not have the best starting pitching in the league. His repertoire has changed over the last three years.

Stroman also has a cutter, slider, changeup and curveball. Against same-handed hitters, the righty Stroman has thrown his sinker or slider 74 percent of the time. He walked three and struck out two.

Phillies second. Cody Asche homers to right field.

Phillies: 3B Maikel Franco (sprained right knee) sat for the second straight game. Andres Blanco started in his place….

A bunt attempt by Martin ball went to the backstop and the runners each stole a bag moving up to second and third. Only once all season has he allowed more than three runs two starts in a row.