Philadelphia Phillies Weekend Preview: Arizona Diamondbacks
By Mike Lacy
The Philadelphia Phillies weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks is previewed.
The Philadelphia Phillies have had several great rivalries over the years, but it seems reasonable to call the Diamondbacks their arch rival. Who can forget all the memorable contests between the two teams over the years? Like um…the time they played an 18 inning game. Or…some other game that might have been somewhat interesting?
That rivalry begins anew this weekend as the Diamondbacks come to town for a four-game series. It’s reasonable to think that Citizens Bank Park will be flooded with D’Backs fans, so the Philadelphia Phillies will have to play well in order to silence the hostile visiting fans.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 29-39 (4th in National League West)
Manager: Chip Hale
The last time they met
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The Philadelphia Phillies traveled to Arizona last August and their pitching staff was brutalized to the tune of 13 runs in the first two games. Thanks to a three-run home run by Cameron Rupp, the Phillies were able to pull out a 7-6 victory in the finale.
What’s the deal with the Diamondbacks
The D’Backs made some big moves in the offseason and gave notice to the baseball world that they were ready to compete. But despite adding players such as Zach Greinke and Shelby Miller, the D’Backs have a losing record.
Their lineup, as always, is anchored by first baseman Paul Goldschmidt who is having a typically excellent year. The pitching staff has not fared as well. Miller has been a major bust (more on this later), and Patrick Corbin hasn’t built off of his successful comeback from an injury last season.
Reason to hate the Diamondbacks
As I said before, the Diamondbacks are clearly the Phillies’ arch rivals. If you can’t get fired up for a Phils-D’Backs series, then you’re simply not a fan of baseball.
Diamondbacks player who isn’t entirely awful
Jake Lamb is establishing himself as one of the best hitting third basemen in the National League. He has 12 home runs to go along with a .350 on-base percentage.
Diamondbacks player who is awful
The Diamondbacks signed Shelby Miller thinking they were getting an All-Star. What they’ve gotten is a 7.09 ERA and a trip to the disabled list.
Other Diamondbacks player of note
Yasmany Tomas signed with the D’Backs out of Cuba before the 2015 season, but at one point, the Phillies were considered the front-runners to acquire him. Did they make a mistake in not pursuing him harder?
So far in his major league career, Tomas hasn’t made the Phillies regret much. His 2015 stats were unimpressive, and his current .734 OPS is nothing special for a corner outfielder who isn’t considered a strong fielder.
A brief look at Diamondbacks history
Can you name the top three all-time home run hitters in Diamondbacks history? If you are not a die-hard D’Backs fan and came up with Luis Gonzalez, Steve Finley, and Chris Young, I really have to question how. I realize that the D’Backs are less than 20 years old, so there’s not a long history there, but does any team have such an unimpressive trio at the top of their leader board?
Reasons for Optimism
Despite the presence of Greinke, the Diamondbacks’ starters still have the second-worst ERA in the National League.
Surprisingly, Goldschmidt has bad career numbers against the Philadelphia Phillies. In 27 games against the Phillies, he’s batting only .207 with four home runs.
The Diamondbacks practically gave Jeremy Hellickson away in an offseason trade. He’ll get his chance to make them look bad on Sunday.
Reason for Pessimism
- The Phillies’ hitters have been bad for most of the season, but their pitching staff has been pretty bad too over the past month. Two of their starters this series will be Zach Eflin and Adam Morgan, and based on what we’ve seen of those so far, they may not be ready for the majors.
- The Phillies are 2-10 in the month of June. Part of that has been due to tough competition, but part of it is because they’re not an especially strong team.
Tweet of Importance
If the Phillies lose tonight, they'll have lost 7 of their last 8 games. They've been outscored 56-16 in those 7 losses (including tonight).
— Ryan Lawrence (@ryanlawrence21) June 17, 2016
So yeah, things haven’t been going too well for the Philadelphia Phillies lately.
Prediction
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The surprisingly good Phillies from the early season are a distant memory. The Diamondbacks aren’t a great team by any means, but they’ll likely find a way to win three out of the four games. I’ll say Hellickson turns in a good start in the finale to avoid a sweep.