In the second of a three-game series between the Philadelphia Phillies (14-23) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (14-23) at Citizens Bank Park, Jerome Williams (2-3, 5.21 ERA) and Archie Bradley (2-0, 1.80 ERA) get the ball. The Phillies won the last game 4-3 and Philadelphia leads the series 1-0. The game gets underway at 7:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, May. 16 and will air on NBC-10 and FSN-AZ.
Williams has a 3.54 ERA and a 4-4 record in his career against the Diamondbacks, and faces a strong Arizona offense that’s hitting .269 on the year. Freddy Galvis (.355, 15 Rs, 1 HR, 11 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 2 yesterday with two runs and two RBIs. The Diamondbacks were unsuccessful to the Rockies 12-5 the last time Bradley pitched. He went 1.1 innings, giving up one run and striking out two. Paul Goldschmidt (.344, 28 Rs, 9 HRs, 30 RBIs, 6 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with two RBIs.
Philadelphia is a small underdog (+100) and the Over/Under (O/U) is eight runs. The Phillies have a losing record of 12-21 when playing as the underdog and an overall money line of -706. They typically aren’t overmatched by pitchers, ranking second in the NL with an average of only 6.9 strikeouts per game.
Moving on to the opposing team, the Diamondbacks come into this game in an interesting position. They have a negative money line (-107) but have won more than 60 percent of games played as the favorite (6-4). The Diamondbacks rank second in the NL in scoring, averaging 4.9 runs per game. Arizona is the top hitting team in the NL with an average of 9.5 hits per contest. The Diamondbacks are a problem for opposing batters, sporting a 3.72 ERA on the road this season. They also allow just 2.4 walks per road game, second-best in the NL.
So far this season, the Phillies are 1-0 against the Diamondbacks. The Phillies will take on a right-hander (Bradley) in this game. They have struggled against right-handed starting pitchers this season, going 9-20. Taking the hill against the Diamondbacks will be the right-hander Williams. They sport an 11-13 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – ARI, O/U – Under
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Arizona is 8-4, while Philadelphia is 8-13.
The Diamondbacks are coming off of a weak pitching game where they recorded six strikeouts. The Phillies have a record of 10-5 when opponents’ pitchers have that many strikeouts or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Phillies are 4-18. The Diamondbacks have a 3-13 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 30th in home runs, Philadelphia has hit 19 this season. Arizona ranks 15th with 31 home runs.
Arizona tops the league in hits with 9.48 per game this season. Philadelphia ranks in the top half at 13th with 7.67.
Ranking 30th, Philadelphia is at the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.622). Arizona ranks in the top 10 at eighth with an OPS of .738.
When the Diamondbacks allow at least one home run, they are 7-14. When the Phillies allow one or more homers, they have a 5-16 record.
