USATSI_18408919 — Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Phillies Host Angels, Look To Build Off Wednesday's Win

The Philadelphia Phillies will look to build off of their first win in six games as they welcome the Los Angeles Angels to Citizens Bank Park.

Author:
Declan Harris
Jun 2, 2022 1:00 PM EDT

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Philadelphia Phillies

On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies ended a five-game losing streak, their longest such streak since August 2020.

Amongst other reasons, the lack of Phillies offense was a driving factor in their losses, with some of the biggest names in the lineup struggling to get on base and knock in runs. Kyle Schwarber (.111/.333/.278), Bryce Harper (.200/.333/.250), and Jean Segura (.167/.211/.167) all had difficulties at the plate throughout the five-game set.

During this time period, the Phillies sustained two key losses to their lineup in Segura, who will be out for 10-12 weeks, as well as Harper, who will be looking to return by Friday according to Todd Zolecki.

With Harper eyeing his return, the possibility of a 2021 MVP showdown between Harper and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels is still on the table.

Ohtani and the Angels come into the series in a similar situation to Philadelphia, as they are on a six-game losing streak.

Another parallel between the two clubs is that some of their top offensive contributors have been struggling in the batter's box. New Jersey native Mike Trout (.160/.192/.320) and breakout slugger Taylor Ward (.154/.267/.462) have both disappointed at the plate during this six-game slump. Even Ohtani is hitting just .176, despite a .952 OPS.

Let's take a look at the pitching matchups for this series:

Game One:

Expected Phillies Pitcher: Zach Eflin 1-4, 4.60 ERA

Expected Angels Pitcher: Noah Syndergaard 4-3, 4.02 ERA

Granted the starters for the entire series have yet to be announced, but if they stay in rotation, Zach Eflin will take the mound to open the series for Philadelphia. In his previous outing against the New York Mets, Eflin had a rocky start going six innings while allowing a season-high seven runs and eight hits.

The Angels are expected to send out Noah Syndergaard, who was brought in during the offseason on a one-year, $21 million deal. So far, in his debut LA season, Syndergaard hasn't had the easiest start, going 4-3 with an ERA of 4.02. As a former Met, Syndergaard has a lot of experience against the Phillies, with a 6-3 record and a 4.20 ERA in 13 games. Although he hasn't dominated Philadelphia in his career, it's safe to say he has had their number more than once in the past.

First Pitch: Friday, 7:05 P.M. EST

Zach Eflin will need to be on his game against the Angels, especially with Jean Segura out of the lineup.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Game Two:

Expected Phillies Pitcher: Zack Wheeler 3-3, 3.16 ERA

Expected Angels Pitcher: Patrick Sandoval 3-1, 2.70 ERA

In his most recent start, Zack Wheeler continued his streak of solid performances, going six innings while allowing only four hits and striking out seven batters, reminding the world why he was runner-up in last year's NL Cy Young voting. He'll be looking to keep up his five-start streak of striking out at least seven batters.

Patrick Sandoval's start to the year was a pretty solid one – he has gotten through the first two months with a 3-1 record and a 2.70 ERA – yet, at times, teams have found ways to strike against him. Sandoval allowed six runs (five of which were earned) in a three-inning appearance against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.

First Pitch: Saturday, 7:15 P.M. EST

Game Three:

Expected Phillies Pitcher: Kyle Gibson 3-2, 3.83 ERA

Expected Angels Pitcher: Michael Lorenzen 5-2, 3.19 ERA

Philadelphia has lost Kyle Gibson's previous three starts, despite his ERA of 3.24 in 16.2 IP in those appearances. Good performances on the mound can come in waves for Gibson, so perhaps he'll get a good one on Sunday to close out the series.

In his previous three appearances, Michael Lorenzen has proven one thing: he is capable of consistently pitching deep into games, as he has thrown 19 innings over his last three starts for the Angels. Lorenzen, who was a Cincinnati Red up until this season, has played the Phillies on several occasions, most of which saw him struggle to contain their offense. Philadelphia has slashed .244/.311/.463 against him in his career.

First Pitch: Sunday, 1:35 P.M. EST

Players To Watch:

Phillies: Zack Wheeler

It's no secret that Wheeler has been dealing from the mound over the past month. One thing that is not often highlighted is how he has turned Citizens Bank Park into his zone, holding opposing lineups to a .189/.246/.264 line while maintaining 1.48 ERA at home this season. He'll look to keep that going against Trout and Ohtani.

Zack Wheeler was absolutely dominant for the Phillies in the month of May.
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Angels: Mike Trout

Trout finds himself as the Player to Watch for the Angels due to his connection to the City of Brotherly Love as well as the year he is having so far. The three-time MVP is hitting .302/.402/.636 in 2022. In his 12 seasons of play, Trout has only played one series in Philadelphia, which was back in 2014, so this will be a bittersweet homecoming for the New Jersey native.