The Philadelphia Phillies road to the west goes through Arlington, Texas. And wouldn’t you know it, this series means a lot.
The Phillies haven’t beaten the Texas Rangers since Opening Day of 2014. That’s not a typo.
I’m sure many of you remember the excitement of that day which included 24 cumulative runs and a Cliff Lee win despite allowing eight earned runs.
From Corpus Christi to Abeline,
even the residents of Texas forget the Rangers are a team.
With Houston sporting the greatest fans,
Its all too clear, if you want to win in Texas, you have to rely on garbage cans.
– a poem for Texas
Just a quick two games, but as we inch closer to the All-Star Break, the Phillies are 2.0 games out from a Wildcard spot.
With San Diego on the horizon, starting with a few wins in Texas would be nice. Giddy up.
Pitching matchup – Tuesday, 6/21 – 8:05p @ Globe Life Field
Kyle Gibson (4-2, 4.04 ERA) v. Martín Pérez (4-2, 2.10 ERA)
Gibson’s performed admirably in his last two starts, with a 2.57 ERA over his previous fourteen innings.
Gibson’s seen his most success against the opposing teams’ three-hole hitters. Not what you might expect, but each opponent’s ‘scariest hitter’ has only scraped together a .121 BA with .489 OPS against Gibby.
Against Texas, he’ll likely see Adolis García, who’s whacked a .900 OPS over the past week. No easy task.
For Pérez, following his selection of AL Pitcher of the Month for May, June hasn’t been so kind. Through three starts, his 4.50 ERA speaks for itself.
Unbelievably, the Rangers’ ace hadn’t surrendered a home run until June 5th. Hopefully something the Phillies can expose.
Series Spotlight
Bryce Harper may not be available for either game in Arlington. Considering he currently has the sixth-highest OPS in all of baseball (1.013), the Phillies need that blister to heal quickly.
Phillies Daily Fantasy Pick of the Day
Didi Gregorius should be your pick against Pérez. The veteran has three homers in fourteen attempts against the lefty with a .357 batting average.
He’s $2,600 on FanDuel and a fantastic option for the 8:05p Late Night tournaments.
Phillies vs. Diamondbacks Betting information
Something a little different today, but we’re sticking with Gregorious. I like the veteran to collect 3+ bases at +420 (on FanDuel Sportsbook).
I like his history against Pérez, maybe a bit too much. Let us ride.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Nick Wass
