Series Preview: Phillies look to create a gap in the Wild Card Standings, head out to St. Louis for 4 more games against the Cardinals
The Phillies head out to St. Louis this weekend for a four-game series against the Cardinals, kicking off tonight at 8:15 EST. Zack Wheeler (7-4, 2.66 ERA) gets the mound for the Phillies, going up against Adam Wainwright (6-6, 3.26 ERA).
After an ugly loss on Wednesday, the Phillies bats woke up on Thursday, as a Darick Hall homer and a great outing from the bullpen powered the Phils to a 5-3 win. Now at 44-39 on the season, the team is tied with St. Louis for the last Wild Card spot, making this weekend’s series one of, if not the biggest of the season.
The Phillies took 2 of 3 from the Cardinals last weekend and will look to win another series against a powerful hitting team. The key to this series will be controlling Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, who have been fantastic at home this season, as well as jumping on the Cardinals’ arms early and often.
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Series Pitching Matchups
- Zack Wheeler vs Adam Wainwright
- Kyle Gibson vs Dakota Hudson
- Cristopher Sanchez vs Andre Pallante
- Aaron Nola vs Miles Mikolas
Zack Wheeler vs Adam Wainwright
Zack Wheeler dominated the Cardinals just last week, going seven scoreless innings, with 5 Ks. Wheeler is 7-4 on the season, with a 2.66 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He’s thrown 88 innings this season, striking out 99 batters, and allowing just 5 homers. Adam Wainwright is on the other side, with a 6-6 record and a 3.26 ERA on the year. He’s holding a 2.25 ERA at home, with 44 total innings in 7 starts.
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The Phillies…In a Playoff Spot?
The Phillies currently hold a playoff spot, and if this series goes in their favor, that lead is going to get a lot bigger. The Phils are tied with the Cardinals as of right now for the last Wild Card spot but hold the tiebreaker, due to their series win last week.
The Last 7 Days have been a big reason for their takeover of a WC spot, specifically due to Kyle Schwarber, Darick Hall, and Rhys Hoskins. Schwarber is hitting .304/.360/.826 over his last 6 games, with 4 HRs and 6 RBIs. Rhys Hoskins has 2 homers and 3 RBIs over his last 6 with a 1.107 OPS, and Darick has 2 homers, 4 RBIs, 2 doubles, and a slash line of .318/.318/.682 (1.000).
It hasn’t just been the offense. Nick Nelson, Andrew Bellatti, Jose Alvarado, and Corey Knebel have combined for 13.1 scoreless innings over the last 7 days, while Seranthony has allowed just one earned run, as well as Brad Hand. For a bullpen that was historically bad just last season, the 2022 group has completely taken over.
St. Louis Cardinals
We got a taste of the Cardinals last weekend, especially the two big bats, Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. Nolan Arenado hit .583/.615/1.583 against the Phils last series, with a 2.199 OPS, 3 HRs, 6 RBIs, and 7 hits.
The Phillies will also catch two of the best arms for the Cards once again in Adam Wainwright and Miles Mikolas. The Phils did beat both of them in Philadelphia, but expect better outings from two great pitchers this weekend.
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
| Team | Spread | Money Line | Total |
| Phillies | -1.5 (+132) | -126 | O8 (-104) |
| Cardinals | +1.5 (-160) | +108 | U8 (-118) |
Prediction
Rhys Hoskins is 6-10 in his career against Adam Wainwright, with 3 HRs and 3 RBIs in 10 PAs. I think he goes yard tonight (+310 via FanDuel), and the Phils win.
- Tonight’s Prediction: Phillies -126
- Series Prediction: Phils take 3 of 4
- Series MVP: Rhys Hoskins
More Phillies
- 3 injured Phillies are expected to make their return in the very near future
- 3 prospects move up in MLB Pipeline’s recent Top 100
- Rhys Hoskins earns NL Player of the Week
- The Phils bullpen has been the best in the league over the last two weeks
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