By: Mike Guerriere
Citizens Bank Park is the home of this Game 7, where I am sure Phillies fans will be out in full swing, hoping to help fuel the fire for their offense after a disappointing display last night, which showed a lack of discipline at the plate, leaving the bullpen out to dry. With this being one of the most anticipated Game 7s of all time, the emphasis on making no mistakes is critical with so much on the line.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt will be the first time in franchise history for the Phillies and the first time since 2001 for the Diamondbacks to play in a Game 7 of postseason baseball. The math couldn’t be any easier: win and you’re in, lose and, well, you’re watching the World Series from your couch with your feet up, maybe with a cold beer in hand (or whatever you prefer), thinking about all the things you could have done differently. So, expect the mega power that has been showcased through Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Trae Turner to continue heating things up and a stretch of difficult pitching decisions as both squads feature tremendous talent on the mound.
The Phillies will turn to left-hander Ranger Suárez, who has been outstanding this postseason (3-0, 0.94 ERA, the lowest in postseason history). Their manager, Rob Thompson, told reporters that it will be an “all hands on deck” situation, including their ace Zach Wheeler, who is 3-0 this postseason with a 2.08 ERA, 34 strikeouts, and only two walks. He will be fully available to take the mound.
The Diamondbacks will likely go with a similar approach to the bullpen tonight, with all but Merrill Kelly available to manager Tory Lovullo. Right-hander Brandon Pfaat will start for the D-backs. He had only one rough inning in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series, but since then, he has been lights out in his two starts – the clincher against the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NL Division Series and NLCS Game 3 when he twirled five scoreless innings against the Phillies. Even with his earlier success in the series, look for Lovullo to be aggressive in turning to his bullpen with the season on the line, so be on the lookout for starter Zac Gallen, another exceptional pitcher from Arizona’s bullpen.
Mike Discusses Game 7
In all best-of-seven postseason series, the scales tip in favor of the teams that have won Game 6 to force a Game 7 by 57% (34 out of 60 times). Can the Philadelphia Phillies stay true in Red October, make back-to-back runs at a World Series title, or will the Arizona Diamondbacks return to the World Series for the first time in over 20 years?
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