Preview: Struggling Phillies send Taijuan Walker to the mound, look to avoid 4th straight loss
The Phillies take the field tonight in Cincinnati at 6:40 EST, looking to dodge a fourth straight loss.
Phillies vs. Reds Starting Pitchers
- Taijuan Walker (0-1, 6.00 ERA)
- Connor Overton (0-0, 10.13 ERA)
The Phillies scored four runs on Connor Overton in their last meeting, which took place on Easter Sunday. The Phillies went on to lose that game 6-4 on a bases-clearing double in the 9th inning on Seranthony Dominguez, but Overton was never an issue for the Fightins during that game.
Taijuan Walker was the opposing pitcher in that game as well, going four and two-thirds allowing three hits and two earned runs while walking five and striking out five. Walker threw 105 pitches, the most by any Phillies starter this season.
The Phillies NEED a win
I don’t like to use the term must-win game, because there are still 149 games to go in the regular season. But the Phillies have now lost three straight, and they finally draw a favorable matchup that they need to take advantage of.
It’s been a collective effort of blunders for the Phillies, including baserunning, starting pitching issues, bullpen inconsistency, and more. JT Realmuto is down to .205 on the season and has struck out 17 times this season, while the backend of the Phillies lineup just seems to be an automatic out at this moment in time.
Luckily for the Phils, they have guys that are carrying the load. Bryson Stott is slashing .400/.411/.473 with a 13-game hit streak and 22 total hits. Kyle Schwarber’s bat got hot again last night, with his fourth Schwarbomb of the year leaving the park in the top of the 5th inning.
Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm, and Brandon Marsh have been the three reliable bats following Stott. Castellanos is slashing .292 on the season with a league-leading eight doubles, while Marsh has a whopping .839 slugging percentage.
Tonight’s Starting Lineup
The top of the lineup stays fairly similar. Brandon Marsh slides into the 5-hole. I still don’t understand why JT Realmuto is hitting ahead of Alec Bohm at this moment in time, but it seems like Topper isn’t going to change that.
The only real explanation for Bohm hitting 7th is the attempt to expand the lineup out and not have all of your hot bats in one part of the lineup. Jake Cave will play left and hit 8th, while Edmundo Sosa plays third and hits last.
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Game Odds
| TEAM | SPREAD | MONEY | TOTAL |
| Philadelphia Phillies | -1.5 (+102) | -148 | O10 (-110) |
| Cincinnati Reds | +1.5 (-122) | +126 | U10 (-110) |
+1014 The Parlay of Destiny
Betting Phils ML right now sure is fun, so I did it separately from the parlay tonight.
- Bryson Stott 2+ Hits
- Alec Bohm Hit
- Nick Castellanos Hit
- Kyle Schwarber HR
