3 intriguing Game 1 storylines to watch in Phillies-Diamondbacks NLCS
There are plenty of intriguing storylines heading into Game 1 of the NLCS tonight.
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After a weekend of anticipation, the National League Championship Series finally gets underway tonight. The higher-seeded Philadelphia Phillies welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks to Citizens Bank Park for Game 1 of their best-of-seven series.
Even though this series doesn't have the intense rivalry of the inter-division battle the Phillies just went through in eliminating the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS, or the panache of a series with the storied Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, it's the NLCS and the Diamondbacks more than earned their chance to fight to go to the World Series.
What are the big storylines heading into Game 1? What are we looking for as these two teams square off for the first time in the postseason?
RELATED: Get all the up-to-date information about the NLCS, including dates, times and broadcast details.
Who will win the battle of the aces?
Both teams will send their unquestioned aces to the mound tonight in an attempt to jump out to a quick one-game lead. In a battle of the Zac(k)s, the Phillies will start Zack Wheeler, while Arizona will counter with Zac Gallen.
In a top-notch pitching matchup like this, it's all about who blinks first. Will both aces have their A stuff, or will one succumb to the pressure and put their team in a hole?
Zack Wheeler has led the way for the Phillies this postseason like you'd expect an ace to do and certainly understands the significance of his role as the Game 1 starter.
"I take pride in taking the ball Game 1," Wheeler said ahead of his Game 1 start. "It's definitely an honor."
The 33-year-old right-hander has pitched into the seventh inning in both starts this October. He went 6 2/3 against the Miami Marlins in the Wild Card Series, giving up only one run and striking out eight. He then went 6 1/3 of mostly dominant baseball against the Braves, including no-hitting the best offense for 5 2/3. The Braves got to him eventually, but he struck out 10 along the way.
Zac Gallen has come as advertised for the Diamondbacks in his first taste of the postseason. He has won both of his starts, going six innings against the Milwaukee Brewers and 5 1/3 against the Dodgers. He surrendered two runs and struck out four in each outing. With five walks surrendered for a 3.97 BB/9, he has looked a little less in control than he did during the regular season when he posted a 2.01 BB/9.
The 28-year-old New Jersey native who grew up 20 minutes from the ballpark is ready for the challenge of taking the ball in the Citizens Bank Park atmosphere and isn't worried about the hoopla.
"It's interesting for sure to, you know, start Game 1 at the field, the stadium you grew up coming to as a kid," Gallen said about what he expects for his first playoff start in Philadelphia. "But this is about the NLCS, really. That's where my emotions are."
NEXT: Will base stealing be as big a factor as many think?
How much will both teams run?
Both these teams like to run. But how much of a factor will base stealing be in Game 1 of the NLCS?
The Diamondbacks finished the regular season with 166 stolen bases, second in the majors, and continued running through their two series sweeps, with seven in total. Led by the speedy super rookie Corbin Carroll and his 54 regular season thefts, they have a robust running game that the Phillies will have to try to slow down.
The Phillies aren't too shabby on the basepaths either, finishing the season with 141 steals, the seventh-most in baseball. Bryson Stott led the way with 31 swipes, while Trea Turner had 30. In the postseason, they have more stolen bases than Arizona, with eight — four coming from Turner. They set a franchise postseason record when they took five bags from the Braves in Game 1 of the NLDS.
It's well-known that Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto has the fastest pop time in the majors, at 1.83 seconds to second base, and he finished the year in the 74th percentile with a plus-two CS Above Average mark.
As good as Realmuto has been, it'll be up to the pitchers to give him a hand in controlling the Diamondbacks' running game and stop them from causing complete havoc on the basepaths.
On the other side of the field, Arizona has a stud catcher of their own. Youngster Gabriel Moreno's pop time of 1.90 puts him in the 86th percentile, while he led the majors with a plus-nine CSAA.
Moreno's a big reason why the Diamondbacks gave up the second-fewest stolen bases this season, with only 84. Pretty good when you compare that to the Phillies 104 and the league average of 117.
As it stands, both teams will have a tough time stealing bags in this series. The only question is how much will each team have base stealing built into their game plan, and how dedicated will they be to keep trying to pressure the opposing defense?
NEXT: How will the young Diamondbacks handle the pressure of the NLCS and Citizens Bank Park?
How will the Diamondbacks handle the pressure?
The final question is: how will the young players on the Diamondbacks handle the pressure of the NLCS and of playing in the crazy atmosphere of Citizens Bank Park?
The Diamondbacks, with a roster full of young players, come into the NLCS with a combined 151 games of postseason experience, with 60 of those games supplied by Evan Longoria (40) and Tommy Pham (20).
Compare that to the Phillies' combined 386 games of postseason experience, and you can see one of the reasons why Philadelphia is the favorite coming into this series.
While the Diamondbacks youngsters are all professionals and have played in big games before, including their first two series in these playoffs, nothing will have prepared them for the environment they're about to face in Philadelphia. The team did at least try to prepare them, however, by pumping in crowd noise during practices at their home park, Chase Field.
Even by turning up the volume, the playoff atmosphere at The Bank is a factor that can't be captured or duplicated. When it's rocking, the ballpark's energy has been described as crazy, raucous, wild, sheer chaos and bedlam, and it can't be quantified, at least in how it will affect opposing players.
The Phillies are used to it, and feed off of it, according to Rob Thomson.
"I think the team responds to the energy in this ballpark," Thomson said over the weekend. "I feel the same way, I feel the energy come through me as well. I think it's the best fan base maybe in all of sports."
Veteran Diamondbacks slugging first baseman Christian Walker knows what the Philly crowd is like.
"It's one of the few stadiums, atmospheres you can feel the excitement through the TV," Walker said. "Growing up a Philadelphia fan, the Eagles games have that vibe, you take pride in being that energy in the stands."
Although 32 years old, Walker himself has only seven postseason games under his belt. He explained that although it's uncharted territory and a new experience for many of the Diamondbacks, his young teammates are excited.
"Not a lot of us have been here. It's uncharted territory to some extent," Walker said. "It's exciting, it's fun, but it's cool to look around and see the excitement in your teammates' faces."
It remains to be seen how the Diamondbacks respond at Citizens Bank Park tonight, and if that excitement holds up.