2023-10-18 21:36:42
PHILADELPHIA — Until Monday’s 5-3 loss once morest the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the D-backs had not lost a single game this postseason. That makes Tuesday their first chance to demonstrate the same kind of mettle that got them to October in the first place.
Until Monday, the Phillies had spent most of the playoffs as a struggling club with character rather than as favorites, at least on paper. That makes Tuesday a great opportunity to confirm their reputation as they move closer to a second straight NL pennant.
There is no doubt that both clubs have the right pitcher in Game 2 to achieve their goals. Scottsdale, Arizona native Merrill Kelly took a shutout into the seventh inning in his first postseason start last week once morest the Dodgers, and will return to the mound well-rested following a 10-day layoff.
“I know it’s a different city, different team, different stadium, different fans,” Kelly said. “I would say that [voy a] “Try to treat it the same as we’ve treated every other game in the playoffs so far…obviously not make the situation any bigger than it already is.”
Philadelphia will turn to Aaron Nola, the oldest of the Phillies, who might be entering his final weeks with the club. The impending free agent has been excellent this October, winning both of his postseason starts with a 1.42 ERA.
“You like being on that stage,” Nola acknowledged. “It’s what we train and prepare our minds for, because you have to go back and think regarding what you’ve done, and what you’re good at, and what you’ve been successful with. For me, if I stay in that moment and believe that and believe that I can overcome things, certain situations, it can happen.”
Mathematically speaking, the Phillies have already increased their chances of winning the pennant quite a bit. In all best-of-seven postseason series, teams that win Game 1 have won the series 121 of 188 times (64%). In series using the current 2-3-2 format, teams taking a 1-0 home lead have won 65 of 97 series (67%).
Game 2 of the NLCS is tonight at 8 pm ET/5 pm MST at Citizens Bank Park.
Who will be the starting pitchers?
Kelly had another outstanding year for the D-backs, going 12-8 with a 3.29 ERA and 187 strikeouts in 177.2 innings in the regular season. He also helped set the tone for the D-backs in the NLDS once morest the Dodgers when he pitched 6.1 scoreless innings to earn the win in Game 1.
Kelly faced the Phillies on June 14 at Chase Field and allowed three runs in six innings, leaving without a decision.
Nola is in a great moment. She is 2-0 with a 1.78 ERA in her last four appearances, which includes her first two postseason outings. He pitched seven scoreless innings in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series once morest Miami on October 4. He allowed two runs in 5.2 innings in Game 3 of the Division Series once morest the Braves last Wednesday.
Nola has faced the D-backs just five times in his career, and just once in each of the last three seasons. He is 2-2 with a 7.67 ERA in those five starts.
What are the alignments?
Who is on and who is not?
D-backs: It was a relatively quiet Game 1 for Arizona’s bats, but coming into the series, the combination of Carroll and Marte at the top of the lineup had been a powerful engine. If they can catch on quickly on Tuesday, Game 2 might have a very different outcome.
Phillies: Castellanos homered in the second inning of Game 1. It was his fifth home run in the last three games. The only other player to hit it five times in a span of three games in a single postseason is Reggie Jackson in the 1977 World Series. …Harper hit a solo home run in the first inning of Game 1 (on his birthday). of the). He has homered four times this postseason, including three in the last three games. … Turner hit a double in the third inning of Game 1. He has hit in every postseason game.
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