Series Preview: Phillies welcome the St. Louis Cardinals to CBP for a 3-game holiday weekend series
Tonight kicks off a three-game set between the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals. Bailey Falter (0-2, 4.50 ERA) gets the ball for the Phillies at 6:05 EST, going up against Miles Mikolas (5-5, 2.57 ERA).
The Phillies got a massive win on Thursday night, powered by the longball. Home runs from Castellanos, Schwarber, Hoskins, and Darick Hall (2) led the Phils to a 14-4 win to avoid being swept by the Braves. The Phils are now 40-37 on the season, trailing the Mets by 7.5 games, who have now lost 4 out of their last 6.
Bailey Falter will make tonight’s start, as Zach Eflin hit the 15-Day back on Tuesday with more discomfort in his knee. The Phils DFA’d Oscar Mercado, the speedy outfielder they signed on Monday, to make room for Falter.
This weekend’s series is crucial for the Phillies. The St. Louis Cardinals currently hold a 2.5-game lead on the Phils in the Wild Card, and if everything goes the Phillies’ way (which it usually doesn’t), we could hold a WC spot by the time Fourth of July is here. A new-look lineup is in the plans for the Phillies tonight, which could flash a spark on both sides of the ball.
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Series Pitching Matchups
- Friday (6:05 EST): Bailey Falter vs Miles Mikolas
- Saturday (4:05 EST): Kyle Gibson vs Matthew Liberatore
- Sunday (7:00 EST): Zack Wheeler vs Adam Wainwright
Bailey Falter vs Miles Mikolas
Bailey Falter gets the start for the Phils tonight. Falter has been floating back and forth between AAA and the Majors, being used as the 6th man in the rotation. He holds a 4.50 ERA on the year, with 13 strikeouts and a 1.40 WHIP. He’ll be going up against Miles Mikolas, who is 5-5 on the year with a 0.96 WHIP and a 2.57 ERA. He’s struck out 78 batters in 94.2 innings, with just 19 walks.
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Big Bats Starting to Find Their Way
Yesterday’s game was a huge momentum boost for the offense, after a rough two games prior. Nick Castellanos hit his first home run since May, which is the best way to get his bat back on track. Darick Hall’s first two MLB hits were both HRs, which gives hope for a bright future for the young slugger. Although it isn’t June anymore, there are no signs of Kyle Schwarber’s bat slowing down. After scoring just 4 combined runs between Tuesday and Wednesday, the Phillies collected 14 on Sunday, with 13 hits.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals head into CBP at 43-35 on the year, trailing the Brewers by 1 game in the NL Central, and holding the last NL Wild Card spot. They are being led by MVP-frontrunner Paul Goldschmidt, who has been on an absolute tear in 20222. He’s hitting .342/.424/.630 on the year, good for an OPS of 1.054. He leads the team with 19 HRs and 65 RBIs, with 24 doubles.
On the defensive side, Adam Wainwright and Mike Mikolas are leading the way. Wainwright is the team leader in wins with 6, while Mikolas is in 1st in ERA (2.57) and strikeouts (78)
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
| Team | Spread | Money Line | Total |
| Cardinals | -1.5 (+110) | -142 | O9.5 (-104) |
| Phillies | +1.5 (-132) | +120 | U9.5 (-118) |
Phillies Starting Lineup
Lineup Notes: Phillies switch it up tonight, with Matt Vierling getting the start at third. Bryson Stott plays 2nd, Casty is in right, and Darick Hall is the DH again. Garrett Stubbs is behind the plate.
Prediction
The Cardinals are a good baseball team, but I think the Phillies are going to have a massive weekend at the plate. It all comes down to Falter and Gibson controlling their pitches vs the big bats of St. Louis this weekend.
- Series Prediction: Phils win 2 of 3
- Series MVP: Nick Castellanos
- Tonight’s Prediction: 8-4 Phils (Phils ML and OVER 9.5)
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