The Phillies will go into the NLCS match-up against the Diamondbacks as favorites, after sensationally beating the Braves in their latest playoff success.
Here are five talking points to savor ahead of the final four encounter against Arizona.
- Phillies put injury woes behind them to stun the country
The Phillies were rocked all season long with injuries to a clutch of pitchers potentially derailing their gruelling 8-month regular season, but with the help if wily veterans and emerging talent they have overcome the injury blues.
Rhys Hoskins tore his ACL in camp, Andrew Painter (a top prospect) needed Tommy John surgery on his elbow, Bryce Harper was out for a month to the same injury, Ranger Suarez missed a whack of games with you guessed it, an elbow injury. and finally, in ‘shocking (ahem)” news Jose Alvarado was also injured with an elbow complaint. Players like Trea Turner, JT Realmuto Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber and Zac Wheeler stepped up to the mound.
- Mr No Heartbeat Suarez looks to up the ante
Suarez was hot in the playoffs thus far, pitching almost nine innings in the series, giving up a miserly one run and only put five men on base. WOW. He has started five playoff games for the Phillies and won all five. He also closed out the 2022 NLCS game against the Padres in 2022.
- Looking ahead to World Series, if they play Astros, they will have field advantage
One cannot help but gaze into a crystal ball, and if the Phillies can overcome the Diamondbacks and the Astros beat the Rangers then the World Series will be played in Philadelphia. They will play at home on the head-to-head rule after they both finished with a 90-72 record (incidentally the same as the Rangers in the ALCS).
- Phillies second favorite at bookies to win the World Series
The Astros are the odds-on-favorites to lift the World Series at +180 and the Phillies can be had at +220. There is a good chance the Astros could become the first back-to-back World Series winners since the Yankees three-peat in 1998-2000.
If the two teams can go through it will only be the 10th World Series rematch in MLB history.
- Diamondbacks will hopefully bring out their hitting power after a lean regular season homer stretch
The Diamondbacks have not been prolific hitting the ball, with only Milwaukee hitting fewer home runs out of all the teams that qualified for the playoffs.
The Diamondbacks hit 166 runs, 54 fewer than the Phillies.
In the playoffs they have been exceptional though hitting a tied best 13 home runs, in one fewer game than the Phillies.
Arizona ranked 28th in the Barrel% at a low 6.2%, increasing to 14.4% in the post season.
The Diamondbacks were ranked 22 in regular season play on the Hard Hit% metric, (balls pitched at or over 95mph), at 38.1%.
