In the second of a three-game series between the Arizona Diamondbacks (55-56) and the Philadelphia Phillies (45-68) at Chase Field, Jeremy Hellickson (7-8, 5.06 ERA) and David Buchanan (2-6, 7.23 ERA) get the start. The Diamondbacks won the last game 13-3 and Arizona leads the series 1-0. The game starts at 9:40 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 11 and will air on CSPh and FSAZ.
In his last start, Hellickson pitched 4.2 innings, allowing four runs, striking out three and walking four in an 8-3 loss to the Nationals. David Peralta (.298, 44 Rs, 10 HRs, 55 RBIs, 5 SBs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 3 for 5 with one run and two RBIs. The Phillies were unsuccessful to the Dodgers 10-8 the last time Buchanan pitched. He went 4.0 innings, allowing seven runs, striking out two and walking one. Maikel Franco (.277, 43 Rs, 13 HRs, 48 RBIs, 1 SB) has been hitting the ball well for the Phillies, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and one RBI.
Arizona is a heavy -181 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is nine runs. When playing as the favorite, the Diamondbacks have a 20-20 record and overall money line at +200. The Diamondbacks have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire NL, averaging 4.4 runs per game. The Diamondbacks rank third in the NL in hits with 9.2 per game. The Diamondbacks are a nightmare for opponents on the bases with 98 steals, one of the highest totals in baseball.
Moving on to the away team, the Phillies come into this game with a weak win percentage of .400 when playing as the underdog (40-60) and an overall money line of -349. Over the past 10 matchups, they are 7-3 SU and have played well as the underdog with a 6-2 record. During the last 10 games, they averaged 5.7 runs per game, above their 3.7 season average. One of the top road hitting teams in the NL are the Phillies, who average 8.8 hits in games away from home. The last 10 games have really brought the best out of the Philadelphia pitchers. They’ve allowed 3.6 runs per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 4.8.
In their previous four games this season, the Phillies have a 3-1 record. The Diamondbacks will take on a right-hander (Buchanan) in this game and have a 42-41 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Phillies will be the right-hander Hellickson. They sport a 35-52 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ari, O/U – Over
Notes
Arizona earned its eighth shutout of the season in its last game. Philadelphia has been shut out 11 times this season.
Having scored zero runs in their last game, the Diamondbacks are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Phillies have a 4-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
When they are outhit, the Phillies are 15-53. The Diamondbacks have a 12-36 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 29th in home runs, Philadelphia has hit 80 this season. Arizona ranks 19th with 97 home runs.
Ranking sixth, Philadelphia is in the top 10 of the league in hits, notching 8.63 per game. Arizona ranks in the top five at third with 9.15.
Ranking 26th, Philadelphia is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.681). Arizona ranks in the top half at 11th with an OPS of .728.
The Phillies are 21-47 when they allow at least one home run. The Diamondbacks perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 26-47 record.
