The Philadelphia Phillies travel on the road to Chase Field to take on one of the worst teams in the MLB, the Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-Backs took three of four from the Padres, but failed to complete the sweep in an 8-2 loss in game four. The Phillies have had a strong-start ot the second half of the season, passing the Mets and now trailing the Braves by just a game in the weakest division in baseball.
Philadelphia is a middle of the pack offense this season hitting .241 as a team and scoring 4.52 runs per game, both of which rank 15th in the MLB. It’s a star-studded lineup led by power hitting first baseman Rhys Hoskins, he leads the team with 24 home runs and 68 RBIs, shortstop Jean Seguara who is 12th in the MLB in batting average hitting .305, and of course right-fielder Bryce Harper who is hitting .297 with 21 home runs.
The Phillies will start veteran right-hander Kyle Gibson who was acquired from the Rangers at the deadline. Gibson is having a very nice season thus far, going 8-4 with a 2.91 ERA, which ranks 11th in the MLB in ERA among eligible pitchers. Gibson made his first relief appearance of the year the last time took the mound, he struggled against the potent Dodgers lineup allowing six runs on seven hits in just 4 ⅓ innings as the Phillies lost 8-2.
Arizona has been one of, if not the, worst team in the MLB this season and comes in hitting .235 as a team. The Diamondbacks are scoring 4.18 runs per game, which ranks 22nd in scoring offense. Third baseman Eduardo Escobar was the leader of the offense, leading the team with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs, but was traded at the deadline to the Brewers. Josh Rojas figures to fill that hole, he’s hitting a team-high .281 and has taken a big step forward in year three at the big league level.
Arizona has not announced a starter yet for this contest, they’ve had one of the worst pitching staffs in all of baseball this season. As a team, the Diamondbacks have posted a 5.28 ERA and 1.45 WHIP, both of which rank 29th in the major leagues. The bullpen has struggled and in the midst of a rebuild, it has shown no signs of improving this season.
