Skip to main content

Phillies at Marlins series preview: 9/10- 9/14

By

Much is being made of the Phillies' upcoming seven-game series at Miami.  A potentially season-defining weekend that will feature two separate double-headers pit the Phils (21-18) against their pesky division rival, the germ sharing Marlins (19-19).

The teams will meet for a lengthy series due to both clubs missing considerable time after the Marlins dealt with a coronavirus outbreak when the season got underway in July and the Phillies were the last team they faced.  

If the Phillies can't secure a series win against a Marlins team that is in the midst of a rebuild, media types and baseball fans alike have been critical in stating that the big-budget Phils (2020 team salary was slated to be 6th highest in the big leagues while Miami was set to be fourth lowest) likely won't have a place in the postseason.  

Read ahead for a rundown of the pitching match ups as well as some key statistics from this series. 

Thursday, 6:40pm.  Jake Arrieta (3-4, 5.67 ERA) vs. Sandy Alcantara (2-1, 3.78 ERA).  In four road starts this year, Arrieta has a 2-2 record with a 4.22 ERA.  In 11 career starts against the Marlins, Arrieta sports an 8-1 record with a 3.55 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.  Corey Dickerson is 6-for-14 (.429 avg) in his career when facing Arrieta.  The righty, Alcantara, turned 25 years old over the weekend.  In five career starts against the Phils, Alcantara has a 4-1 record with a 2.51 ERA.  Alcantara missed roughly a month of the season following a positive COVID-19 test in July.

Friday, double header with game 1 slated for 5:10pm.  Rookie right-hander Spencer Howard is expected to pitch in one of these games.  It's unclear which hurler would start the other contest for the Phillies.  Howard holds a 1-2 record with a 5.66 ERA in five big league starts this year.  The 24-year-old was the Phils' 2nd round draft selection in 2017.  Aaron Nola last pitched on Sunday the 6th...throwing on Friday would be his turn on normal rest.  On the season, Nola has a 4-3 record with a 2.74 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP.  Nola is 3-7 with a 3.49 ERA in 14 career starts against the Marlins. 

Saturday, 6:10pm.  Zack Wheeler (4-0, 2.47 ERA) vs. Jose Urena (0-0, 5.40 ERA).  Wheeler, a 30-year-old righty, has no decisions with a 3.46 ERA in a pair of road starts this year.  In 15 career starts against Miami, Wheeler has posted an 8-3 record with a 1.87 ERA.  Urena has made just one start this season after missing time due to COVID-19.  Saturday will mark Urena's 29th birthday.  Urena has a 4.38 ERA in 68 career appearances at Marlins Park.  In 17 career appearances (12 starts) against the Phillies, Urena sports a 3-5 record with a 4.27 ERA.  

Sunday, double header with game 1 slated for 1:10pm.  Tentative starters for game 1...Zach Eflin (2-1, 4.58 ERA) vs. Sixto Sanchez (2-1, 1.80 ERA).  Eflin has a 6.33 ERA in five career starts at Marlins Park.  In nine starts against the Marlins, Eflin sports a 5-2 record with a 4.19 ERA.  Sanchez, a former Phillies prospect that was dealt to Miami in the swap for JT Realmuto, has been one of baseball's most exciting rookie performers.  Through four starts, Sanchez has a 2-1 record with a 1.80 ERA and has struck out 25 and walked just two over 25 innings.  He also sports triple-digit velocity numbers with his fastball. 

Monday, 4:10pm.  Righty Vince Velasquez may be tabbed to take this start for the Phillies.  In his last appearance, Velasquez struck out nine, walked none and allowed two earned runs in five innings against the Red Sox.  Velasquez has a 6.10 ERA in seven career games against the Marlins.

Since August 22nd when Bryce Harper last homered, he's 7-for-49 (.143 avg) in 15 games.  In 134 games against Miami, Harper sports a .292 average with 29 home runs and 95 RBI.  

In 26 career games at Marlins Park Andrew McCutchen is a .340 hitter with five homers and 21 RBI.  

Didi Gregorius has a .293/.384/.547 slash line in 21 career games against the Marlins.  

Former Phils lefty pitching prospect Brandon Leibrandt, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018, signed with the Marlins this season and is once again sidelined with an elbow issue, described as ulnar neuritis.  The 6th round pick from 2014 appeared in five games with the Marlins.  

Catcher Jorge Alfaro is batting .180 with a home run and four RBI in 16 games this season for Miami.  Alfaro is a .462 career hitter in 10 games against the Phils.

The Phillies' .785 team OPS ranks 7th best in MLB.  The Marlins, at .700, ranked 24th heading into action on Wednesday.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rappers in Phillies Caps

By
Weekend greetings to you phine pholks out there. Today's post features pictures of rappers wearing Phillies caps. Why rappers in Phillies caps, you ask? Because... Any other questions? We will start things off properly by going with a highly recognizable hip hop star. 50 Cent stays constantly relavant by consistantly creating radio friendly material to help sell (G) units, while he "keeps it real" by still rapping about the thug life he lived before becoming the 2nd highest earning black entertainer in America. 50 is seen here in a recent interview rocking a throw-back Phillies cap. Next up we'll use a throw-back screen cap from what may be the very first major appearance by a rapper wearing Phillies gear. Chuck D, of legendary rap group Public Enemy, wore a Phillies cap in the music video for rap anthem Fight The Power in 1989. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing . Next up we'll go with some home grown tal...
3 comments
Read more

Michael Taylor Q&A

By
Michael Taylor is currently leading the Reading Phillies' offense and is near the top of the Eastern League in most stat categories (3rd in batting avg- .342, 3rd in HR- 14, tied for second in RBI- 55, 2nd in OPS.- .994, tied for 1st in runs scored- 49, tied for 1st in hits...). The 23 year old Taylor is 6 feet 6 inches tall and has quickly grabbed the attention of phans and media alike as a top prospect to watch. I spoke with Mike Taylor over the weekend, and here is that interview. With all the big stats and being among the league leaders in so many categories, do you think you're ready for the next step? It's kind of a difficult question. Do you have anything left to prove here? There's always something to prove. There's stuff to prove every game. I mean that's one thing that's very interesting about this game. It's such a numbers oriented game. You're only as good as your last "whatever statistical category that someone's valuing". ...
2 comments
Read more

Ibanez Makes Hall of Fame History

By
It's every player's dream to be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. For Raul Ibanez , who hasn't had the sort of career that would ensure his face would one day be cast in bronze and displayed on the Hall walls, it was necessary to find a less common way to earn a spot in the annals of baseball history. Recently, Ibanez became the very first big league player to spend the night in the plaque gallery at the storied Hall of Fame. As detailed on the National Baseball Hall of Fame's website , Ibanez accompanied his son's Little League travel team to the Hall, where they participated in the Museum's "Extra Innings Overnight", a program that allows groups to travel to Cooperstown, NY in order learn more about the great game of baseball. Ibanez's son, Raul Jr., is 11-years-old and plays baseball in Lower Merion, PA. The article on the Hall of Fame's website quoted Ibanez as being excited to see some recent Phillies milestones represent...
Post a Comment
Read more