Philadelphia Phillies (72-56) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Giants (59-67)
Two teams headed in opposite directions square off on Tuesday when the Philadelphia Phillies take on the Arizona Diamondbacks. This is the second contest of a three-game series between the clubs, but this preview was written prior to the conclusion of Monday night’s game. Philadelphia entered the series going 7-3 in their last 10 games and were firmly in second place in the NL wildcard standings. Arizona is 9.5 games out for the final wild card spot entering the series, despite going 6-4 in their last time.
These clubs have met three times this season, with the Phillies winning two of the three games in Philadelphia (June 10-12). The Phillies enter as the favorites at -130 with the odds set for the Diamondbacks at +110. The total is set at 7.5 ( over: +105, under: -125).
They say you have to win games against the teams you are expected to beat, and that is what Philadelphia did last week, going 5-2 against the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates. That was a welcome sight, as the Phillies have not played well against teams with a losing record (29-34). They have been very good on the road this season (33-26) but are 4-5 on the road in August.
Ended the homestand with a series win over Pittsburgh!
Check out all the stats ??
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 29, 2022
Philadelphia boasts one of the best offenses in baseball, seventh in runs per game (4.70) and eighth in OPS (.735). This is a powerful lineup, sixth in home runs (162), thanks to six players with double-digit home runs, led by Kyle Schwarber with 35. The Phillies are averaging 4.5 runs per game in August, hitting 31 home runs in 26 games.
Philadelphia starts right-hander Aaron Nola, who deserves a much better record. The right-hander is 9-10 with a 3.08 ERA in 25 starts. Nola has pitched well in August, allowing one run or fewer in three of his four starts, and has allowed two runs or fewer in nine of his last 12 outings. That includes tossing a five-hit shutout against Philadelphia on August 25. However, when he gets hit, he is usually rocked, giving up five earned runs in three of his last eight starts.