Stay on the Streak — Series Preview: Royals at Phillies, September 12-14

The Philadelphia Phillies stay at home this weekend after a four-game sweep of their rival, the New York Mets, as they play host to the Kansas City Royals.

The sweep was one of the best series they played all year, and it could not have been against a better opponent, as the Mets have been a thorn in the Phillies’ side as of late. The bats were the main story, as even without Trea Turner and Alec Bohm, they continued to hit the ball all over the field. Defense and pitching stood their ground as well, adding up to a dominant series where the Phillies owned their rival this time.

Royals Remain in the Hunt

With the Phillies having not played the Royals yet this season, they cannot take the series lightly, as Kansas City is not out of the picture yet in the American League, standing at 74-73. They are currently 4.5 games out of a playoff spot, as they sit in third place in the American League Central division.

Regarding a new look at the Royals, many changes have been made since the Phillies last faced the interleague opponent. On the mound, the Royals acquired former Phillie Bailey Falter from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the trade deadline not too long ago. This could be looked at as a replacement for the Royals’ former ace in Seth Lugo, who was placed on the 15-day injured list on September 4th, meaning the Phillies will not be facing Lugo.

Off the injured list, however, is second baseman Jonathan India, in his first year with the Royals, after four seasons with the Cincinnati Reds.

Though the Phillies will be facing the returning Royals in terms of players such as Salvador Perez, Vinnie Pasquantino, or Bobby Witt Jr., there is enough new to catch the Phillies off guard if they are not careful.

Continue the Hitting Surge

During the series against the Mets, the Phillies outscored the Mets 27-10, as they were able to pile on hits in any situation, whether the bases were clean, a runner on first, or a handful of runners with two outs. The bats seemed to not only stay hot, but also unload over their division rival as the Mets swept the Phillies back in Citi Field not too long ago.

If there was ever a time for a postseason contender to catch fire at the plate, it was now, as this ball club will be playing postseason baseball in less than a month. A Royals team that has a very good pitching staff will definitely be a test for these batters, but hot hitters such as Nick Castellanos, Otto Kemp, and Harrison Bader do not look to cool down by any means.

Walker Buehler Looks to Make a Good Impression

When pitchers go down, you need to find the guys who can replace their spot, which is never an easy task. As the Phillies try to keep a six-man rotation intact after Zack Wheeler went down, Buehler was called upon to keep the rotation’s flow in order.

Buehler, who had a hard time this season in Boston. After seven seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Buehler was looked at as a starter who had more potential than he showed, as he dealt with injury after injury with Los Angeles. After the Red Sox gave the 31-year-old a chance, the experiment did not go as planned, as Buehler posted a 5.45 ERA in his short time with Boston.

Whether Phillies’ President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski signed him with the intent of an emergency or a sense of hope, Buehler has a job to do after some time in the Phillies’ minor leagues. Buehler’s start on Friday night will not be a place-holding situation but a test for a man who has pitched so well under pressure and in postseason scenarios.

How do you continue without Turner and Bohm?

After this past series, Bohm and Turner’s absence may not be feared for now, but there is a very possible chance that their injuries find a way to bite the Phillies, and it could possibly start this weekend against the Royals.

At the plate, if the Phillies continue to lead off their lineup with Harrison Bader, who had 10 hits in the series against the Mets, then they will more than likely be able to start these hot innings like they have been doing. Regarding direct replacements at the plate, Edmundo Sosa and Kemp have done a good job holding their place, as both of them came up big in the series against New York. As those two are at their best at Citizens Bank Park, their production will more than likely pick up where it left off.

Game Times and Broadcasts

Friday, September 12th, 6:45 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Saturday, September 13th, 6:05 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Sunday, September 14th, 1:35 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 1210 WPHT, WTTM 1680

Probable Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Walker Buehler (RHP, 7-7, 5.45 ERA) vs. Michael Lorenzen (RHP, 5-10, 4.63 ERA)

Game 2: Taijuan Walker (RHP, 4-8, 4.03 ERA) vs. Ryan Bergert (RHP, 2-2, 3.48 ERA)

Game 3: Aaron Nola (RHP, 4-8, 6.24 ERA) vs. Noah Cameron (LHP, 7-7, 3.00 ERA)

By The Numbers

• Records
  • Phillies: 86-60
  • Royals: 74-73
• Run Differential
  • Phillies: 124
  • Royals: -11
• Runs Scored Per Game
  • Phillies: 4.82
  • Royals: 3.82
• Runs Allowed Per Game
  • Phillies: 3.98
  • Royals: 3.88

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