The 21-29 Phillies are back in action for the third and final game in the series against the now 27-21 San Francisco Giants. It has been an absolute trainwreck so far and Aaron Nola shoulders the burden of a fanbase dying to see just one glimmer of hope.
Last game
I don’t really have anything to say other than leaving this clip here…
It’s just embarrassing at this point. The Phils are 8 games away from a .500 record. It’s not good enough. The month of May has been absolutely horrible to the Fightin’s, so maybe a positive start to June can at least inspire some hope that better times are ahead. There’s no better man to deliver in this scenario than Aaron Nola.
Pitching matchup
Aaron Nola (2-4, 3.56 ERA) vs Carlos Rodon (4-4, 3.60 ERA)
Aaron Nola has pitched very well in 2022 up to this point. After a bumpy couple of years, Nola looks like he’s trending back to his best. While run support often lacks, Nola at least gives the Phils a fighting chance. It feels weird seeing the Phillies as favorites on the back of another awful game, but that’s the difference a strong starting pitcher can make.
Carlos Rodon, on the other hand, seems to be cooling off after a hot start. The Giants have also struggled to support their pitcher at times this season, but his ERA has soared over his last few starts. He’s posted an ERA of above 3.4 in each of his last 3 starts, allowing a combined 22 hits. He allowed 9 total hits through his opening 3 starts of the season.
The Phillies have a clear advantage here if they can just get out of their own way.
Betting prediction for Phillies vs Giants episode 3: Revenge of the bats
I can’t believe I’m doing this, but my betting streak is hot right now and I’ve gotta go with my gut. The Phillies have a distinct pitching advantage here. The loss of Jean Segura is significant, but there’s so much firepower here that they should be able to do just enough damage to outpace the damage they’ll do to themselves.
Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire
