Series Preview: Phillies return home to take on the San Diego Padres
After a successful 5-2 road trip vs the Mariners and the Dodgers, the Phillies will finally take the field at Citizens Bank Park, as the San Diego Padres come to town for a three-game series starting tonight at 6:45 EST.
The Phillies bats are hot. In seven games out west, they tallied 50 runs and 74 hits. Bryce Harper, who just took home the NL Player of the Week Award has been playing at a MVP-level. Harper has hit .579/.609/1.368 over the last 7 days (5 games), with 11 hits, 6 doubles, 3 HRs, and 8 RBIs, good for a skyrocketing OPS of 1.977.
Rhys Hoskins has also been fantastic, after a terrible slump before the west coast trip. Hoskins is slashing .333/.357/.667 over his last 6 games, with 9 hits, 3 HRs, and 8 RBIs, totaling a 1.024 OPS.
Alec Bohm has continued his dominance, slashing .308/.321/.423 over the last 7 days. After Bohm told us he hated this place, he’s completely turned it around and has been one of the most consistent hitters in the entire MLB this season.
The San Diego Padres have been one of the top teams in baseball this year, being led to a 22-13 record by NL MVP frontrunner Manny Machado. The Phillies are in the midst of the toughest stretch of the season, and that won’t stop this week.
Series Pitching Matchups
- Tuesday (6:45 ET): Zach Eflin vs Mike Clevinger
- Wednesday (6:45 ET): Zack Wheeler vs Blake Snell
- Thursday (1:05 ET): Kyle Gibson vs Yu Darvish
Tonight: Zach Eflin vs Mike Clevinger
Zach Eflin will make his first start since May 1st tonight, after he was place on the COVID list with Zack Wheeler on May 8th. Eflin’s season has been up and down, totaling a 4.50 ERA in 24 innings. He’s struck out 18 batters, while allowing 12 earned runs.
Mike Clevinger will get the ball for the Padres, who has not made it past the 5th inning this whole season. Clevinger is coming off of Tommy John surgery and has thrown just 9 innings this season, allowing 10 hits and 5 earned runs.
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Key Players for a Series Win
Nick Castellanos: Castellanos is one of the purest hitters that I’ve seen wear a Phillies uniform in a long time. He has been struggling as of recent, hitting just .154/.214/.308 over the last seven days. With Hoskins, Bohm, and Harper all crushing the ball, having that fourth guy hitting is exactly what this team needs at the moment.
Rhys Hoskins: The most hot and cold player in baseball, but man is he hot at the moment. Hoskins is hitting .333/.357/.667 over his last 6 games, with 6 runs scored, 9 hits, 3 HRs, and 8 RBIs, all good for an OPS of 1.024. He’s coming off a 2-RBI game on Sunday, and a 6-hit series vs LA.
Corey Knebel: The Phillies closer struggled in the 9th inning of Sunday’s series finale against the Dodgers, but he’s still throwing a great season. He’s tallying a 3.60 ERA on the season, just 6 earned runs allowed in 15 innings pitched. The Padres can hit the baseball, and the Phillies are going to need a strong start to their week from the bullpen, especially their closer.
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San Diego Padres
The Padres have had a great start to their 2022 season, currently holding a record of 22-13, sitting just a half-game back of the Dodgers in the NL West. They’re 12-6 on the road this season, with a total +16 run differential on the season.
San Diego is being led by Manny Machado, who is the current frontrunner for NL MVP. Machado is slashing .359/.443/.586 on the year, with 7 HRs, 23 RBIs, and 46 hits. He’s second behind Jake Cronenworth for at-bats, who’s hitting .205 on the year with 2 HRs and 15 RBIs. Eric Hosmer has also been a big part of their offense this season, hitting .350/.412/.512 in 123 at-bats.
Game 1 Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
| Team | Spread | Money Line | Total |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +1.5 (-192) | -116 | O8.5 (-122) |
| San Diego Padres | -1.5 (+158) | -102 | U8.5 (+100) |
Series Prediction
The Padres are a good baseball team, but I truly do think the Phillies are starting to figure it out. Our hitters are starting to click at the right time, and our starting pitching is holding down the fort. Phils take 2 of 3 from the Padres to start off this beautiful week.
Pick for Tonight: Phils -1.5 and OVER 8.5 runs
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Mandatory Credit: Phillies
