It’s the opening game of an early week series on the diamond between a pair of National League foes in the Valley of the Sun. The Philadelphia Phillies are on the road as they travel to play the first of a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks Monday night. Philadelphia closed a three-game series with Pittsburgh at home Sunday looking for a sweep. They prevailed 6-0 Saturday night in the middle game of the series. Arizona played the final game of a three-game series against the White Sox on the road Saturday looking for a sweep as well. The Diamondbacks picked up a 10-5 win on Saturday night. In the first series between the teams this season, Philadelphia took two of three at home back on June 10-12. This article was published prior to the conclusion of both teams’ contests Sunday afternoon.
Philadelphia blanked Pittsburgh at home Saturday night to run their win streak to six games. The Phillies entered Sunday third in the NL East, 9.5 games behind the Mets for the division lead. They held the second wild card spot in the National League, 2.5 games ahead of the Padres, who held the final wild card position, and five games clear of the Brewers to remain on the right side of the cut line. On Saturday, Philadelphia finished with seven hits with no player having more than one. They did all their scoring in the first three innings and coasted from there. Nick Castellanos hit his 13th homer of the season in the victory for the Phillies. Kyle Gibson (9-5) threw seven scoreless innings, allowing six hits with one walk and nine strikeouts, to earn the victory.
Ranger Suarez is on the mound to make his 23rd start of the season for the Phillies in this contest. He comes in 8- 5 with a 3.38 ERA, a 1.308 WHIP, 45 walks and 102 strikeouts over 120 innings of work this season. Suarez didn’t factor in the decision in his last start, which came Tuesday at home against the Reds. He threw 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with four walks and five strikeouts in a game the Phillies rallied to win 7-6. In his last three starts, Suarez has no record with a 1.83 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, eight walks and 17 strikeouts over 19.2 innings of work. Suarez makes his seventh career appearance and fourth start against the Diamondbacks in this contest. He has a 1-3 record, a 5.95 ERA, a 2.136 WHIP, 13 walks and 16 strikeouts over 19.2 innings of work. Suarez has a 0-2 record with a 9.00 ERA, a 3.167 WHIP, six walks and three strikeouts over six innings in three career appearances, one start, at Chase Field.