The 21-28 Philadelphia Phillies are preparing to get back up and endure another round against the 26-21 San Francisco Giants. A 5-4 defeat to start the series was not what fans had hoped to see, but the manner in which it came about was sadly what they’ve come to expect.
Last game
The Phillies had looked pretty good before the ninth inning. A pair of homers helped give them a platform to build on, while Kyle Gibson pitched a great game. Unfortunately, as always seems to be the case, the ninth inning was where it would all fall apart.
Evan Longoria decided to kick things off with a home run…
But wait, not today! Kyle Schwarber broke the curse with a home run of his own. The Phillies are alive and everything is fine again. Time to go crack open a beer an-
Never mind, Bellati exists.
He gave up a two-run homer in the 10th and that was just about all she wrote.
When will it end? I don’t know.
Pitching matchup
Jakob Junis (2-1, 2.76 ERA) vs. LHP Ranger Suarez (4-3, 4.74 ERA)
You don’t have to be a genius to see which of the two pitchers has the advantage here. Suarez has to kick into form at some point. His regression since becoming a full-time starter has been just as puzzling as everything else about this team, and it’s not like the Giants are sending just anyone to the plate. Suarez will be facing a Giants team that goes pound-for-pound with the Phils offensively, as proven last night. If Suarez can’t step up, the pendulum might not swing back.
As for Junis, his silky slider is going to be problematic at some point, even if the bats can stay hot. It’s just fascinating how the offense can keep any strong pitcher in check, only for the rest of the team to fall apart at the seams.
Betting preview
There’s no way that the Giants are UNDERDOGS tonight? What am I missing here? Betting the Phillies as favorites just feels like a very risky thing to do right now, so I’m going to stay betting against whatever chaos is bound to come pouring out of the bullpen tonight.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Chris Szagola
