Preview: Phillies open up a 2-game series tonight against the Toronto Blue Jays

The Phillies take the field tonight at 6:40 EST as they open up a 2-game set against a hard-hitting Blue Jays lineup.

Starting Pitchers

Alek Manoah (1-2, 4.71 ERA)
Aaron Nola (2-2, 4.64 ERA)

The Phillies got a much-needed win on Sunday afternoon as Taijuan Walker threw one of his best starts of the whole season. He logged six innings pitched, allowing just one earned run while striking out six batters.

Kyle Schwarber got out of a much-needed funk late in Sunday’s game with an RBI single to right field and an absolute piss missle into the second deck of Citizens Bank Park.

Kyle Schwarber takes a trip to the upper tank. 😤 pic.twitter.com/znaBtX4vva
— MLB (@MLB) May 7, 2023

The Phillies, now 16-19 on the season, have two games left in their touch stretch before heading out to Coors Field Friday night to take on the Colorado Rockies for three games.

The Toronto Blue Jays sit at 21-14 on the year and trail the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays by 7.5 games in the AL East. Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, George Springer, and Matt Chapman have led the way for the Jays so far this season, with Chapman leading the team in average (.349), Guerrero leading the team in HRs (7), and Bichette leading the team in RBIs (22).

While Toronto’s lineup has raked through the first 35 games of the season, their pitching has held them back a tad. They’re currently towards the middle of the pack in ERA and WHIP, while their two biggest arms, Kevin Gausman and Alek Manoah, have both taken a bit of a step back compared to last season.

The Phillies will roll with the same lineup for the second day in a row. Kyle Schwarber, as we asked all along, stays in the five-hole, while Bryson Stott will continue to leadoff for the Phils.

Phillies Starting Lineup

Game 1️⃣ of 2️⃣ #RingTheBell

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📻: @SportsRadioWIP
📱: https://t.co/HhDxScbmEV // https://t.co/vgbMhIMsON pic.twitter.com/DvNxxqdaw7
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 9, 2023

Alek Manoah vs. Aaron Nola

Alek Manoah and Aaron Nola...two pitchers that haven’t been their best this year.

Nola is coming off a tough start in Los Angeles where he allowed seven hits and four earned runs in a 10-6 loss. Nola’s outing before that was great (4/28 vs. Houston), throwing eight innings of one-run ball while striking out six.

Aaron holds a 2-2 record on the year with a 4.64 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP with 33 strikeouts.

Alek Manoah has taken a step back from his dominant ways in 2022, holding a 1-2 record with a 4.71 ERA in seven starts this season. Manoah is coming off a five-inning outing in Boston where he allowed eight hits and five total runs. Alek has gotten past the sixth inning just twice this season.