Philadelphia Phillies vs. Miami Marlins Prediction: Can the Phillies Stay Hot in the Postseason Race?
The Philadelphia Phillies host the Miami Marlins for a three-game series starting tonight. Can the Phillies stay hot in the postseason race? Ben Rajavuori answers.
Ben Rajavuori - September 8, 2023, 3:07 PM EDT
5 minPhiladelphia Phillies vs. Miami Marlins Prediction: Can the Phillies Stay Hot in the Postseason Race?
The Philadelphia Phillies host the Miami Marlins for a three-game series between two NL East foes starting tonight in Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The Phillies are coming off a series win against the San Diego Padres, taking two of three games and now coming off a rest day heading into this series at home. Meanwhile, the Marlins won their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers to keep their playoff hopes alive, although they dropped yesterday's series finale at home and now travel to Philly without a rest day. The Phillies are -142 tonight to take tonight's opener behind Christopher Sanchez.
Phillies vs. Marlins Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: September 8, 2023
- Game Time: 7:05 pm ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN+
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Miami Marlins Prediction
The Phillies and Marlins are fighting for wild card spots in the National League this season behind the Atlanta Braves, who lead all of baseball with a 91-48 record. The Phillies currently hold the top seed in the wild card race, sitting five games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who hold the third and final spot.
The Marlins are not far behind, however, as they are .5 games behind the Diamondbacks for the last postseason spot in the National League. With that being said, with only 23 games left for the Phillies and 22 for the Marlins, every game means a whole lot more down the stretch. This game is severely important for both clubs, but it will be an uphill battle for the Marlins.
The Marlins will send out Eury Perez tonight to start on the bump. Perez has had a great season so far, going 5-4 with a 2.86 ERA in 16 starts. However, he has been much stronger pitching in Miami this season. At home, he is 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA in eight starts. On the road, he is 2-3 with a 4.25 ERA in eight starts.
If he played every game at home, he may be a Cy Young contender, but he has struggled much more on the road pretty consistently all season. His last start was on the road against the Nationals, and he gave up three earned runs in 4.2 innings, although the Marlins did go on to win that game 8-5. Still, relying on scoring eight runs to win a game is not sustainable, and the Phillies are a hot team right now.
The Phillies send out Christopher Sanchez to take the mound first for Philly. Sanchez is 2-3 with a 3.48 this season over 14 starts. Sanchez has had an up-and-down season, but before his last start against the Angels, Sanchez had pitched three straight quality starts, allowing just two earned runs in all three. The Phillies have won four of his last five starts overall.
The Phillies are re-instating Trea Turner to the roster after he was on the paternity list this week. The Phillies are 18-12 over their last 30 games and have been playing good baseball down the stretch. The colder bats have woken up, and they have been crushing it at home. They are 41-26 in Citizens Bank Park, and they are coming off a day of rest as well. The Marlins have gone 26th in average and OPS against lefty pitchers over the last 30 days, and they just snapped a winning streak. They also come into this game with no rest and had to travel. With Perez pitching worse on the road this season, all signs point to a Phillies win in game one of this series tonight.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Miami Marlins Pick
2 Unit Pick: Phillies ML -142 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
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