Series Preview: Phillies vs Brewers

Like the Phillies (27-50), the Milwaukee Brewers (29-48) are among the worst teams in all of Major League Baseball. Despite just winning 4 of 6 games with the Mets and Twins, the Brew Crew are still 23 games out of the NL Central lead, and are just two games better than the Phils in the race (?) for baseball’s worst record and the top pick in the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft.

Milwaukee’s offense has been clicking; they were able to score 20 runs over the weekend. Providing the pop and producing runs for the Crew, as usual, is superstar outfielder Ryan Braun (.259/.331/.486, 15 HR, 49 RBI, 9 SB). Their other top hitters include 1st baseman Adam Lind (.291/.362/.494, 11 HR, 39 RBI) and outfielder Gerardo Parra (.290/.318/.446, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 5 SB).

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The Phillies just suffered a series loss to the Nationals, the club’s first series under interim-manager Pete Mackanin. They are 15.5 games back in the NL East Division. Even though the Phils are not playing well overall, they have a crop of batsmen beginning to hit the ball with some authority. Those consist of 3rd baseman Maikel Franco (.304/.349/.559, 10 HR, 32 RBI), outfielder Ben Revere (.289/.326/.378, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 18 SB), and 2nd baseman Cesar Hernandez (.271/.361/.361, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 6 SB).

This series has some intrigue in that it may result in one team or the other taking the lead in that race for being the worst team in the league; a designation the Phillies are trying to shed – though getting that top draft pick might actually benefit them in the long run.

PITCHING MATCHUPS:

Sean O’Sullivan (1-5, 5.34 ERA) v. Jimmy Nelson (4-8, 4.34 ERA) – O’Sullivan is coming off a very poor start (4.1 IP, 6 ER, 10 H, 0 BB, 2 SO) last week in the Bronx. Over the past few games, he has been able to bounce back from bad starts and turn in a decent outing. He’ll need to do so tonight. Nelson is probably feeling pretty confident in his chances tonight because he is coming off one of his strongest starts of the season (8 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 5 SO). He is definitely looking to build off that brilliant performance when he takes the hill tonight.

Cole Hamels (5-6, 3.26 ERA) v. Taylor Jungmann (2-1, 2.74 ERA)- As always, Hamels takes the mound amid trade rumors. Both he and the Phillies are looking for a bounce back game after a pretty sub-par outing (5 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 3 SO) to keep his trade value high. Hamels should be able to provide that.  Meanwhile, Jungmann has had a very solid rookie campaign in his first for starts. He’s looking to keep the train rolling on a successful year on Tuesday night.

Aaron Harang (4-10, 3.56 ERA) v. Kyle Lohse (4-9, 6.28 ERA) – Harang is beginning to find some consistency again, even if it not as good as one would hope. In three straight games, he’s gone 6 innings and only yielded 4 runs in each. At the very least, he’s keeping the Phils in the game and that’s all you can really ask for from a career 4.18 ERA pitcher. His opponent, ex-Phils starter Lohse, put together a similar solid start in his lasting outing (6 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 2 SO). Like his teammates, Lohse will attempt to keep the momentum moving in a positive direction when he squares off against his old squad.

Adam Morgan (1-0, 1.59 ERA) v. Matt Garza (4-10, 5.52 ERA) – Morgan will get another go-around after his last start was cancelled due to rain. He is probably still riding high from a great debut (5.2 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 6 SO) and will take that confidence into the series finale. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Garza is a veteran stuck in an uncharacteristically bad year. The owner of just a handful of good starts this year; Garza will be looking change his luck and start a streak of successes Thursday evening.

SERIES KEYS:

Bounce-back game from Hamels – He’s coming off a start in which he struggled mightily against New York. That start was preceded by having his spot in the rotation skipped. The Phillies would love to see him go out there Tuesday and pitch a gem to qualm any concerns there may be about his health. Not only would a big game from Hamels help his trade value, but it would also help them take the series.

Top of the order production – As mentioned earlier, Franco, Revere, and Hernandez are all hitting very well. These guys have all found their way to the top of the lineup and could do some serious damage as a unit. As always, the Phils will need to score a lot to compete, because their rotation has been so bad, so this group of batters will be counted on.

BROADCAST INFORMATION:

Game 1: Monday, 7:05 PM, TV: CSN, Radio: 1210FM, 94AM, 1680AM (Spanish Language)

Game 2: Tuesday, 7:05 PM, TV: CSN, Radio: 1210FM, 94AM, 1680AM (Spanish Language)

Game 3: Wednesday, 7:05 PM, TV: CSN, Radio: 1210FM, 94AM, 1680AM (Spanish Language)

Game 4: Thursday, 6:35 PM, TV: CSN, Radio: 1210FM, 94AM, 1680AM (Spanish Language)

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE forecast for Citizens Bank Park in South Philly

This Afternoon

Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. West wind around 10 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southwest wind 3 to 6 mph.

Tuesday

A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. South wind 6 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tuesday Night

Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday

A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. West wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday Night

A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.

Thursday Night

A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

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