In the first of a four-game series between the Colorado Rockies (13-21) and the Philadelphia Phillies (13-21) at Coors Field, Jordan Lyles (2-3, 4.30 ERA) and Cole Hamels (3-3, 3.53 ERA) take the mound. The Phillies go into this series looking to continue a five-game winning streak. The game gets underway at 8:40 p.m. ET on Monday, May. 18 and will air on CSN-PHI and ROOT-RM.
Lyles is 1-0 with a 2.74 ERA against the Phillies in his career, and faces a less-than-stellar Philadelphia offense that’s hitting just .238 on the year. In his pitching opportunities against the Rockies, Hamels is 3-3 with a 3.62 ERA. He gets a solid Colorado offense that’s batting .262. Ryan Howard (.244, 11 Rs, 7 HRs, 18 RBIs) went 1 for 1 yesterday.
Colorado is a slight -102 underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at nine runs. When playing as the underdog, the Rockies have a 10-13 record and overall money line at -538. They are 2-6 as the underdog over their last 10 games. The Rockies are a stellar hitting team with an NL-best 9.8 hits per home game. Don’t expect the Colorado hitters to swing wildly in their own ballpark. They average only 6.6 strikeouts per home game.
On the other side, the Phillies have a subpar record of 1-2 when they are favored and are -359 overall with the money line. The Phillies average just 6.9 strikeouts per game, one of the lowest marks in the NL.
This game will feature Hamels (LHP) on the mound against the Rockies, who have a 2-6 record when they take on a left-handed starter. The right-handed Lyles will take the mound against the Phillies, who have a 12-20 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – COL, O/U – Under
Notes
Colorado has won 36% (4-7) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Philadelphia has won 38% (8-13) of its games when taking a late lead.
Having scored zero runs in their last game, the Rockies are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Phillies have a 2-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
When they are outhit, the Rockies are 1-13. The Phillies have a 4-18 record when opponents outhit them.
Philadelphia ranks at the bottom of the league when it comes to home runs, hitting 22 this season. Colorado ranks in the top half at 15th with 34.
Ranking 13th, Philadelphia is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.79 per game. Colorado ranks in the top five at fourth with 9.15.
Ranking 29th, Philadelphia is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.643). Colorado ranks in the top half at 12th with an OPS of .725.
The Phillies are 6-16 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Rockies are 4-14 when they allow at least one homer.
