Slitherin’ Into South Philly — Series Preview: Diamondbacks at Phillies, June 21 – 23

Let me set the scene: It’s October 24, 2023, and the time at Citizens Bank Park is 11:31 pm ET. Jake Cave is at the plate, and 45,397 fans are nervously holding their breaths, wondering how they ended up in this situation. Just six days prior, the Phillies had a 2-0 series lead over the Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series. Now, those same 26 guys are one strike away from losing it all.

There’s no reason for me to craft some elaborate, suspenseful ending to this story because anyone reading this knows exactly how it ends. Paul Sewald hangs a slider right over the middle of the plate, but Cave misses it, lazily flying out to right field and ending the Phillies’ momentous season.

Less than eight months later, the tables have turned, and the Phillies have their opportunity to get redemption. The Phillies boast the best record in the National League, while the Diamondbacks are struggling to keep their head above water, coming into the series with a 37-38 record.

Break Out The Bats

Aside from the occasional outlier, when the Phillies struggle, it’s due to a lack of offense, and certainly not due to poor pitching. Sometimes, it’s the defense—as we saw in game three against the Padres—but the offense has been the Phils’ Achilles Heel over their past nine games. In this span, the Phillies have a team batting average of .231 with runners in scoring position and have stranded 65 runners on base, averaging over 7 stranded runners per game.

However, if the Phillies’ offense is going to get back on the rails, now is a great time to do it against a struggling D-Backs rotation that is just days away from getting ace Zac Gallen back from the injured list. Right now, they are just trying to get by, and the Phillies have to use this to their advantage.

In game one, they’ll face a struggling Jordan Montgomery, who has a 6.88 ERA in his last seven starts. Tommy Henry, a lefty with a 6.23 season ERA through eight starts, will be on the bump for game two. In the finale, it will be Slade Cecconi, who has a 5.90 ERA in nine starts. It may not be batting practice, but it does look like the Phillies will have the offensive advantage.

A Treat for the Nation

Does this storyline pertain to the game? Nope! Is it worth mentioning? Absolutely.

Not too many broadcasters are as loved as John Kruk, who started calling games with ESPN in 2012 before joining the Phillies’ TV crew alongside Tom McCarthy. With his witty one-liners, pure reactions to the gameplay, and the occasional judgmental comment, Kruk has become a favorite among broadcasters, often going viral on social media for his quotes.

In game one, the whole world will get a dose of Kruk’s humor, as he—in addition to McCarthy and Phillies sideline reporter Taryn Hatcher—will be on the call for Apple TV’s Friday nationally broadcasted game.

Honoring a World Champion

Since we have already mentioned one beloved Phillie in John Kruk, we may as well give Cole Hamels, who will officially retire as a Phillie during Friday night’s game, some love, too. In ten seasons in Philadelphia, Hamels had a 3.30 ERA in 1,930 innings of work. He was named to four All-Star teams in his career, but many remember him for his dominant 2014 season (when he posted a 2.46 ERA across 30 starts), his amazing playoff run in 2008 that earned him World Series MVP, or for having a no-hitter in his final start with the Phillies.

Hamels played for seven more seasons after leaving Philadelphia; he spent four seasons with the Rangers, spent two seasons with the Cubs, and pitched just 3.1 innings for 2020 while battling injury. The end of his career was no easy, but all in all, everything looks like it’s going to end up the way it was meant to be—with Cole Hamels ending his major-league career in red pinstripes.

READ MORE: How 24-year-old Cole Hamels carried the 2008 Phillies to the promised land

Game Times and Broadcasts

Friday, June 21, at 6:40 pm ET, on Apple TV+, and 94.1 WIP

Saturday, June 22, at 4:05 pm ET, on NBC Sports Philadelphia, and 94.1 WIP

Sunday, June 23, at 11:35 pm ET, on ROKU, and 94.1 WIP

Probable Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Taijuan Walker (RHP, 3-2, 5.33 ERA) vs Jordan Montgomery (LHP, 5-4, 6.00 ERA)

Game 2: Zack Wheeler (RHP, 8-4, 2.84 ERA) vs Tommy Henry (LHP, 2-2, 6.23 ERA)

Game 3: Cristopher Sanchez (LHP, 4-3, 2.91 ERA) vs Slade Cecconi (RHP, 2-5, 5.90 ERA)

By the Numbers

• Records
• Phillies: 49-25
• Diamondbacks: 37-38

• Run Differential
• Phillies: 101
• Diamondbacks: 9

• Runs Scored Per Game
• Phillies: 5.00
• Diamondbacks: 4.81

• Runs Allowed Per Game
• Phillies: 3.64
• Diamondbacks: 4.69

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