Bounce back? — Phillies at Diamondbacks NLCS Game 4 preview

In Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Thursday night, the Phillies bats went silent.

They look to bounce back in Game 4 and take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, avoiding the Arizona Diamondbacks making this series tied, 2-2.

Here is the Phillies’ starting lineup for Game 4:

The Phillies only had three hits in Game 3. They have 19 home runs in this postseason but did not hit one in Game 3 on Thursday.

Joe Mantiply will serve as the opener in a bullpen game on Friday for the DBacks.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo hopes his bullpen picks up where it left off on Thursday when four relievers held the Phillies to just one hit (an infield single) in 3 1/3 innings. Those four were Andrew Saalfrank, Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel, and Paul Sewald. They happen to be four of the top relievers in the DBacks bullpen.

Mantiply allowed four runs in three innings during his only appearance against the Phillies this season. He has a career 7.36 regular-season ERA in five relief outings against the Phils, and he gave up three runs while getting just one out in Game 2 of the NLCS on Tuesday.

Jumping on the DBacks early, as they did in Games 1 and 2, may be the key to success in Game 4.

Here is the Diamondbacks’ starting lineup for Game 4:

Cristopher Sanchez will get the ball tonight for the Phillies. Sanchez made 18 starts in his 19 regular-season appearances this season, going 3-5 with a 3.44 ERA. Sanchez did not have the best outing in his only career appearance at Chase Field, as he allowed five runs and got only two outs in a relief outing on August 29, 2022. Adding in a scoreless inning he threw against the Diamondbacks on June 11, 2022, he has a career 27.00 ERA vs. Arizona in a small sample size.

The last time Sanchez pitched was September 30, when he threw a scoreless inning out of the bullpen against the New York Mets. His most recent start came on September 24, when he struck out 10 while throwing seven innings and allowing two runs in a victory over the Mets.

“He has been throwing the ball very well, and I know there’s a lot of right hands in that lineup, but I have a lot of confidence in him,” manager Rob Thomson said on Sanchez. “I don’t know how far we’re going to be able to go with him, but he’s been pitching very well and throwing strikes.”