Series Preview: Phillies at Marlins, July 15 – 17

The Phillies were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays. It was a very disappointing series, considering how quickly the Phillies fell out of the playoff spot they held. In the first game, they lost 4-3, and in the second game, they lost 8-2.

Last Time They Met

The Phillies take the Marlins on in a three-game series starting Friday. The last time these two teams met, the Phillies took two of three from the fish. They had two great pitching performances in their wins. Aaron Nola and Kyle Gibson pitched two amazing games, letting up just three runs combined. The Phillies as a team had a whopping 31 runs over the three-game span and hope to do this again in the upcoming series.

Can the Phillies hit consistently?

In this series, the Phillies look to find consistency throughout the lineup. The Phillies lineup is struggling to hit well as a team, and they have been striking out at a concerning pace. In the first game of the Toronto series, the Phillies had 14 strikeouts as a team, which is completely unacceptable. If the Phillies generate runs collectively and make the other team make plays, they will find that success is much easier to come by when you aren’t relying on one certain guy to do all the damage.

The Phillies’ batting average is .245 as a team, which is not going to cut it. The Phils being right around the middle of the pack in almost every offensive stat as a team is concerning, especially since their team was built around its offense.

Can Aaron Nola get back on track?

Aaron Nola started the last game in the Cardinals series before the Phillies went to Toronto. He struggled in the outing, allowing five runs on seven hits. He struck out seven and didn’t give up a walk but still let more runs cross the plate than usual. Although the box doesn’t show it, Nola still pitched well. Some of the Cardinals’ hitters were able to get to tough pitches, and the Phillies’ pitch-caller overused his curveball.

Aaron is 5-7 and has a 3.35 ERA. He has been a solid two or three man in the rotation for the Phillies, however, some people beg to differ that he’s been the ace this year. In 118.1 innings pitched Aaron has struck out 127. Hitters have a .218 average against him in his 18 games started. Aaron looks to get on the hump in the third game of this series and hopes to get the job done. He has been a huge asset for the Phillies, and it would be great to see Nola finish the first half strong.

Pitching matchups

Game 1: Kyle Gibson (RHP, 4-3, 4.53 ERA) vs. Sandy Alcantara (RHP, 9-3, 1.73 ERA)

Game 2: Ranger Suarez (LHP, 6-5, 4.33 ERA) vs. Max Meyer (RHP, making major-league debut)

Game 3: Aaron Nola (RHP, 5-7, 3.35 ERA) vs. Trevor Rogers (LHP, 4-8, 5.42 ERA)

The numbers

• Run Differential:
• Phillies: 47
• Marlins: 3

• Runs Scored Per Game:
• Phillies: 4.66
• Marlins: 4.2

• Runs Allowed Per Game:
• Phillies: 4.13
• Marlins: 4.17

Game times and broadcasts

• Friday, July 15, at 6:40pm on NBC Sports Philadelphia, WTTM 1680, 94.1 WIP
• Saturday, July 16, at 4:10pm on NBC Sports Philadelphia, WTTM 1680, 94.1 WIP
• Sunday, July 17, at 1:40pm on NBC Sports Philadelphia, WTTM 1680, 94.1 WIP

Game coverage will be provided on Philly Sports Reports’ Twitter page.