Going for the Bye — Series Preview: Phillies at Diamondbacks, September 19-21

After a three-game series all the way in Los Angeles, the Phillies not only won the series against the reigning champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, but also clinched the National League East Division for a second straight year.

The Phillies stay out West as they visit Arizona for three games, their last road series of the regular season.

Though the Phillies lost the finale in shutout fashion, there was a lot of good to take out of their time in Los Angeles, as the series victory was due to the comeback gene after back-to-back slow starts in the late window out West. The bats were able to wake up in the first two games, allowing for comebacks, despite pitching struggles for starters and the bullpen. The Phillies hope to keep their energy alive in Arizona.

Last Time They Met

The last time the Phillies saw the Diamondbacks was all the way at the start of May, where the Phillies took two of three on a weekend series in South Philadelphia. Game one was what was just seen in Los Angeles, as the Phillies came back late with home runs from Max Kepler and Kyle Schwarber to seal a 3-2 victory. The Phillies were able to play with ease in game two as they won a 7-2 game, before dropping game three after an attempt at a remarkable comeback. Though seven runs were given up by Ranger Suarez in game three, it was his first start of the season, and it’s safe to say that Ranger Suarez and others have seen mass improvements on the mound.

The Diamondbacks have a much different look since the Phillies saw them at Citizens Bank Park. After the deadline, the Diamondbacks traded away Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners, along with the power-hitting third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who was under the Phillies’ trade radar for a minute.

The Diamondbacks also dealt away starting pitchers Merrill Kelly and Jordan Montgomery.

In terms of health, outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was placed on the 10-day injured list before ultimately getting surgery for his knee, meaning he will miss the remainder of the season.

Though the Diamondbacks are only a game over .500, they are still very much alive at 77-76 on the year, as they are two games back of the New York Mets, and the last team out of the Wild Card. The Phillies must be careful, as a Diamondbacks team with life will be playing for the Postseason.

The Taijuan-Walker-Buehler Experiment Goes into Effect in Game One

For game one of this series, Phillies’ manager Rob Thomson explained the plan to start Taijuan Walker, who usually is not capable of going deep into games as a starter, and then transitioning the ball over to the newly acquired Walker Buehler, who only gave up one run in five innings in his first start back in the majors with the Phillies after release from Boston.

This allows not only both guys to not throw too many pitches, or to get two looks in one game, but also to mitigate disaster, as we have seen from starters like Walker this season. With an opposing offense that has seen the Phillies many times and has had success, seeing a starter only once in the game will give the Phillies’ pitching the slight edge Friday night.

Clinch a Bye

With this series, the Phillies have an opportunity to clinch a bye, as the next team down is the Los Angeles Dodgers, whom they had just won the series against. If the Phillies are able to win two and have the Dodgers lose two, or a sweep and a loss from the Dodgers in their series, the Phillies can clinch a home-field division series after a bye week.

This is really important to get out of the way before the Phillies start to panic and lose control of where they have been. If the Phillies can secure a bye week this series, they can go home for two more series against lesser teams, knowing that the only other step would be the first seed in the National League, which is currently held by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Even though the Phillies would love to chase the first seed, clinching the bye is the Phillies’ first order of business as of now.

Game Times and Broadcasts

Friday, September 19th, 9:40 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Saturday, September 20th, 8:10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Sunday, September 21st, 4:10 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 1210 WPHT, WTTM 1680

Probable Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Taijuan Walker (RHP, 5-8, 4.17 ERA) vs. Ryne Nelson (RHP, 7-3, 3.34 ERA)

Game 2: Aaron Nola (RHP, 4-9, 6.44 ERA) vs. Zac Gallen (RHP, 12-14, 4.73 ERA)

Game 3: Ranger Suarez (LHP, 12-6, 2.84 ERA) vs. Eduardo Rodriguez (LHP, 8-8, 5.12 ERA)

By The Numbers

• Records
  • Phillies: 91-62
  • Diamondbacks: 77-76
• Run Differential
  • Phillies: 124
  • Diamondbacks: 27
• Runs Scored Per Game
  • Phillies: 4.86
  • Diamondbacks: 4.95
• Runs Allowed Per Game
  • Phillies: 4.05
  • Diamondbacks: 4.78

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