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Reds-Phillies Preview

May 14, 2016 - 3:58 AM While he's been outstanding on the road, Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola has yet to solve what's been holding him back at Citizen Bank Park.

Fortunately, the Cincinnati Reds aren't hitting - or winning - on the road.

As Nola chases his first home victory, the surprising Phillies go after their sixth win in seven games Saturday night against the Reds.

Nola has pitched like the ace Philadelphia (21-15) hopes he can become when on the road. He's 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA with 34 strikeouts and five walks in five starts.

Home, however, hasn't been nearly as comforting for the 22-year-old. He's allowed a combined 11 runs and 13 hits over 12 innings while dropping both outings.

Nola will try to reverse that trend as he makes his first start at home since April 16 when he allowed a career-high seven runs over five innings in an 8-1 loss to Washington. He's 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA over his last four outings - all Phillies wins.

Nola (2-2, 3.13 ERA) was sensational in his only career meeting with Cincinnati. He allowed one run with eight strikeouts over seven innings in a 3-2 loss April 6.

Eugenio Suarez accounted for the only run off him with a first-inning homer

The Reds (14-21) are batting .228 and averaging 3 runs - well below their 4.6 mark at home - while dropping 11 of 13 on the road. Brandon Phillips (.195), Jay Bruce (.194) and Suarez (.192) are among those scuffling away from home.

Adam Duvall had two of the team's four hits in Friday's 3-2 series-opening loss that ended a seven-game winning streak over the Phillies, who are six games over .500 for the first time since finishing 2011 with a franchise-record 102 wins.

Cincinnati hopes to get something going for Tim Adleman. After allowing two runs and three hits over six innings in a 6-5, 11-inning win at Pittsburgh in his major league debut, he gave up one run and four hits over five in Friday's 5-1 home victory over Milwaukee.

"I obviously didn't do an awesome job at times of hitting my spots, but I was able to make some pitches in spots.," the rookie right-hander told the league's official website.

Adleman (1-0, 2.45) faces a Philadelphia lineup that hasn't exactly been lighting up the scoreboard with a .228 batting average and 3.3 runs per game on the season.

Tyler Goeddel, who entered the contest batting .158, had the big blow Friday with a two-run triple in a three-run fourth inning. The rookie had dropped Tucker Barnhart's fly ball down the left-field line, allowing two runs to score in the second.

Starter Jeremy Hellickson drove in the go-ahead run on a suicide squeeze. Odubel Herrera went 0 for 3 with a walk after hitting safely in 21 of his previous 22 games.

''We have to play small ball,'' manager Pete Mackanin explained. ''We don't have the pop to wait for a three-run homer. We have to take what we can.''

Reds reliever Ross Ohlendorf will be available while appealing a three-game suspension for hitting Pittsburgh's David Freese this week after warnings had been issued. Manager Bryan Price is back after serving his one-game penalty.

Outfielder Billy Hamilton is out after being placed on the bereavement list.