The Phillies may not have been able to bring the Sunny western weather with them back to Citizen’s Bank Park after all. A 3-0 loss to the Padres was not the way they wanted to start this series, but they’ll be hoping for redemption tonight.
Game one
The good news is that Zach Efflin had a brilliant game, giving up only one run through six innings and striking out five. The bad news is that Mike Clevinger seems to have rekindled his pre-Tommy John form and pitched a shutout through five innings.
Without Bryce Harper in the lineup, the Phils struggled to put the cherry on the cake. Jean Segura extended his hitting streak to a stunning 13 games, but outside of that and a pair of hits from Castellanos, the offense was pretty quiet.
The Phillies have now been shutout four times this season, three of which have come at home.
Game two pitching matchup
Zach Wheeler ( 1-3, 4.26 ERA) vs Blake Snell (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
It’s Wheelsday! Wheeler is averaging a 4.26 ERA on the year so far which is a far cry from his 2.78, and 2.92 campaigns over the last two years. Considering that this Padres offense is carrying some pretty heavy machinery in the way of Manny Machado and company, Wheeler is going to have to be at his best tonight.
Blake Snell will take the mound for the first time this season after sustaining a groin injury. The 2018 AL Cy Young Winner will likely be on a pitch-count due to this being his first action of the year. He sustained an identical injury back in September of last season as well.
Snell’s 2018 campaign was like something out of MLB The Show, posting a 1.89 ERA and a 21-5 record. Since then, however, he’s cooled off. He’s averaged a 4.06 ERA in the three seasons since, going 17-16 and averaging a 1.28 WHIP. The power his name holds is far more damaging than his current ability, it would seem.
Betting preview
The 17-18 Phillies are favored going into this matchup, likely because of the question marks over Blake Snell. The run-total seems to be hovering at 7.5, so a nice parlay would be betting the Phillies and over 7.5 runs if you think that the team should make light work of a once-great pitcher who has tumbled ever since that 2018 campaign.
Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire
