The Phillies finally appear to have awoken from their slumber. Maybe it was the rage coming from the Wells Fargo Center that sent a shot of adrenaline through the offense, or maybe it was just a matter of time until the star-studded lineup hit its stride. Either way, a dominant 8-2 win is exactly what the doctor ordered ahead of tonight’s game.
The story so far
The first inning wasn’t brilliant. In fact, from the moment the first pitch was thrown, the mood was bleak. Kyle Gibson accidentally gifted Connor Joe a home run and when the Phils were able to load the bases at the end of the inning, they walked away with nothing in true 2022 fashion. It looked as though it was going to be another case of the Monday’s…until it wasn’t.
The Rockies imploded and the Phils were able to take full advantage. Bryce Harper hit a home run while Rhys Hoskins got three hits on the board. It was nice to see the Phillies actually able to close the coffin lid. A 4-run 7th inning was enough to seal the deal as the supporting cast of pitchers did a really good job of limiting damage after two early homers.
I’d 8-2 be a Rockies fan right now
Also, our betting pick of Phillies -1.5 (+110) flew in, bringing our total record to 4-1 in our last five. How does tonight’s game shape up?
Pitching matchup
Zach Eflin (0-1, 5.27 ERA) vs German Marquez (0-0, 4.67 ERA)
Pitching info taken from our series preview which you can read here!
Zach Eflin has been decent in his starts in 2022 but he has left the team longing for more. Eflin is a great pitcher when he has hit control on point and he must be on against this hot Rockie offense. Zach allowed 4 runs on 9 hits against Colorado in his last start. He has to be better if the Phillies are going to win his start.
German Marquez is clearly the ace of this Colorado pitching staff and is a tough test for most offenses. The Phillies hit German well last Wednesday and went on to win the game. To come out with a win again the Phillies need to take the same approach as they did last time around against Marquez. Strong discipline against his off-speed pitches and forcing him to use his fastball will give the Phillies’ hitters the best chance of repeating their previous performance.
Betting prediction
You can get the Phillies -1.5 against the spread at + money once again, which has to be seen as a good thing. The run total still sits at 8, and the Phils are -145 favorites overall. It would be nice to see them build of yesterday’s win, and after they were able to surpass the Rockies when they last faced Marquez, I’d like to back the sentiment that they can.
Pick: Phillies -1.5
Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire
