The Philadephia Phillies are red-hot in Red October. They took Game 1 by a score of 5-3 as they launched 3 home runs during the win, which gave the Diamondbacks their first loss of the postseason. There’s no waiting around for Game 2 since the series resumes tonight, and I have a Diamondbacks vs Phillies Same Game Parlay that pays out at over 5/1 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. We cashed our D-backs vs Phill ies SGP last night at +500 odds, so let’s make it 2 in a row!
No Run First Inning (-113)
There is no shortage of fantastic pitching in this series as Game 2 of the NLCS features another exciting matchup between Merrill Kelly and Aaron Nola. Game 1 technically featured the aces of each staff, but Kelly and Nola are like the sidekicks — both still exceptional pitchers. Kelly ended the regular season on a fantastic note with a 3.22 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 36.2 innings in September and must have saved his best for last since he was lights out in the Divisional round. Next, Kelly will face a fiery Phillies squad in Philadelphia. Even in a hostile environment, Kelly has an excellent chance for a scoreless first inning. In the regular season, he limited hitters to a .213 batting average with a 29.6% strikeout rate in the first inning. And in his last 13 starts, he has allowed a first-frame run just 3 times.'
Aaron Nola was a box of chocolates in the regular season. The right-hander never seemed to find his rhythm and always had one or two starts a month which frustrated a lot of Phillies fans. Fortunately for Nola and the Phillies, he's been at his best in the postseason. Between the Wild Card round against the Marlins and the Divisional round against the Braves, Nola allowed just 2 earned runs and 9 hits with 12 strikeouts in 12.2 innings. Since Opening Day, Nola has been fantastic in the opening inning. He held hitters to a .197 batting average and a 35% strikeout rate in the first frame this season, and more recently, he has not allowed a first-inning run in 12 of his last 14 starts. Expect a slow start in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
Read our full D-backs vs Phillies YRFI/NRFI best bet analysis — we’re on a 4-1 run!