Series Preview: Phillies travel to New York, kick off crucial 3-game set with the Mets on Apple TV+ at 7:10
The Philadelphia Phillies travel up to Citi Field to kick off a 3-game set with the NL East-leading Mets tonight at 7:10 EST.
Ranger Suarez (8-5, 3.68 ERA) gets the ball for the Fightins, facing off against elite-right hander Max Scherzer (8-2, 1.98 ERA).
The biggest series of the season is officially upon us, as two of the hottest teams in baseball square off, the Phillies and Mets. The Phils are 8-2 in their last 10 and are coming off a 7-game win streak. The Mets are 8-2 in their last 10, and are on a 6-game winning streak, winning their last two series against the Braves and the Reds.
A key piece will be out of the Phillies lineup for at least tonight, but most likely the whole weekend. Kyle Schwarber is nursing a right calf strain and is officially “day to day,” according to Rob Thomson. The Phils’ most impactful bat has hit well against New York this season, holding a .419 slugging percentage in 12 games, with 8 hits, 3 HRs, and 6 RBIs. He’s crushed 34 HRs, 69 RBIs, 86 hits, and 16 doubles this year, good for a .212/.314/.504 line with a .818 OPS.
Although the Phillies are a whopping 10.5 games back of the Mets in the NL East, the two teams square off 7 times over the next two weeks, giving the Phillies an opportunity to make up some ground. The Phils are locked into an NL Wild Card spot as we speak, as they currently sit half of a game up on the Padres for the second spot, trailing the Braves.
Weekend Pitching Matchups
- Friday: Ranger Suarez vs Max Scherzer
- Saturday: Aaron Nola vs Jacob deGrom
- Sunday: Zack Wheeler vs Chris Bassitt
The Mets are sending out three right-handers vs the Phillies this weekend, with the Phillies down a few left-handed bats. Expect Darick Hall to play all 3 games this weekend, with Matt Vierling and Brandon Marsh holding down two spots in the outfield each night.
Ranger Suarez vs Max Scherzer
Ranger Suarez will look to continue his dominant stint post-all-star break as he faces off against a legitimate Mets offense. Suarez is 8-5 on the year with a 3.68 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. In his last four starts, Suarez holds just a 1.27 ERA with a 2-0 record in 21.1 innings, allowing just 18 hits and three earned runs.
He’ll face off against the always dominant Max Scherzer, who has gotten roughed up a bit vs the Phils this year. Scherzer’s highest ERA against a specific team is against the Phillies, sitting at 4.24. He’s allowed eight earned runs and 20 hits in three starts, going just 17 innings. He’s 8-2 on the year and is coming off a dominant start against the Braves, going seven strong, allowing just four hits and zero earned runs.
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The Hot Bats Need to Stay Hot
The Phillies have been the hottest hitting team in baseball over the last two weeks, and that needs to continue into the weekend.
Here are the offensive stats over the last 7 days
The team is hitting a combined .291/.368/.588 over the last six games, with a .956 OPS, 14 HRs, 39 RBIs, 11 doubles, and 58 hits. JT Realmuto and Bryson Stott have been a huge portion of that, as they both hold averages over .350 and OBP’s of over .400.
Rob Thomson will have a decision to make this weekend, as the team will be in need of a new leadoff hitter until Schwarber’s return. The obvious answer seems like Alec Bohm, but with how Bryson Stott has teed up Max Scherzer this season, I wouldn’t rule Stott out of the running at all.
Game 1 Odds (FanDuel)
| Team | Spread | Money Line | Total |
| Phillies | +1.5 (-118) | +194 | O7 (-104) |
| Mets | -1.5 (-102) | -235 | U7 (-118) |
Prediction
This weekend’s series is going to tell a lot about this Phillies team, and although we lost Schwarber at such an unfortunate time, I think the Phillies steal game one tonight.
- Tonight’s Pick: Phillies +194
- Series Prediction: Phillies take 2 of 3
- Series MVP: Darick Hall
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