USATSI_18577963 — Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Phillies Visit San Diego to Close Out Road Trip

Following their series loss to the Texas Rangers, the Phillies travel to California to take on the San Diego Padres in a four-game series.

Author:
Declan Harris
Jun 23, 2022 12:23 PM EDT

In this story:

Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies have found themselves in a familiar position, yet one that they haven't experienced in quite some time. Following Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Texas Rangers, the Phillies are on a three-game losing streak.

It is the first losing streak that Philadelphia has gone through under new skipper Rob Thomson, bringing his managing record to 14-5.

This losing streak has been brought on by multiple things, with perhaps the biggest being the lack of offensive production by the Phillies. During the previous three games, J.T. Realmuto, Rhys Hoskins, and Kyle Schwarber all failed to hit .300 or higher.

Another reason for a lack in offensive production is that Bryce Harper only played in Wednesday's game after suffering from an infected blister. When Harper is in Philadelphia's lineup, the story regarding their offensive is entirely different.

Rob Thomson relieves Zack Wheeler from his duties on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Phillies' pitching also struggled during the losing streak, with only Kyle Gibson going more than 4.1 innings during his start against the Rangers. This includes an uncharacteristic start for Zack Wheeler, who closed out the Rangers series going 4.1 innings while allowing seven hits and two runs.

As Philadelphia comes in on a three-game losing streak, the San Diego Padres come into the series on a three-game winning streak. In their previous series, the Padres swept the Arizona Diamondbacks, outscoring them 17-7.

This slugfest comes despite the fact that the Padres' best hitter Manny Machado is out with an ankle sprain.

Machado is slashing .328/.400/.545 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI in 2022. He leads the Padres in nearly every offensive statistic, making him an extremely vital piece of their team.

The Padres' pitching staff may be their most impressive asset, as they rank amongst the best in the MLB. They hold a team ERA of 3.44 which ranks fourth in the league, as well as holding opposing batters to an average of .220, which is the third-lowest average.

Let's take a look at the pitching match-ups for this series:

Game One:

Phillies starter: Ranger Suárez (5-4, 4.43 ERA)

Padres starter: Joe Musgrove (8-0, 1.59 ERA)

Ranger Suárez will open the series for the Phillies, coming off of his solid start against the Washington Nationals. In that game, Suárez went 5.2 innings, while giving up six hits as well as striking out five batters.

2022 has gotten off to a phenomenal start for Joe Musgrove, as he is cruising into the mid-season with an ERA of 1.59 and a FIP of 2.66. His most recent start against the Chicago Cubs is just more evidence of his dominance, as Musgrove fanned nine batters over seven innings.

First pitch: Thursday, 9:40 p.m. EST

Where to watch: NBCSP, 94.1 WIP

Game Two:

Phillies starter: Aaron Nola (4-4, 3.11 ERA)

Padres starter: Mackenzie Gore (4-3, 3.64 ERA)

Aaron Nola will get the start on Friday for the Phillies as he will look to extend his streak of hot starts to three. In Nola's previous two starts, he has allowed 10 hits over 14 innings with 15 strikeouts, pitching to a 1.20 ERA and a 1.46 FIP during those starts.

Mackenzie Gore will look to have a solid start on Friday, something which hasn't come too often for him during his rookie campaign. In his previous start against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, Gore allowed nine hits and eight runs over four innings, while only striking out one batter.

First pitch: Friday, 9:40 p.m. EST

Where to watch: NBCSP, 94.1 WIP

Game Three:

Phillies Starter: TBD

Padres Starter: Blake Snell (0-4, 5.46 ERA)

Although Philadelphia has yet to announce their starter, Zach Eflin may make his return following his early exit against the Nationals. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Eflin will pitch on Saturday depending on if all goes well in a bullpen session scheduled for Thursday. In his brief start against the Nationals, Eflin allowed five hits and four runs across just two innings.

Former Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell will look to draw level against the Phillies following his loss in May. In that start, Snell went 3.2 innings while allowing three hits, three runs, and three walks. Since that start, Snell has struggled from the mound, holding an ERA of 5.19 and a FIP of 3.01.

First pitch: Saturday, 10:10 p.m. EST

Where to watch: NBCSP, 94.1 WIP

Game Four:

Phillies starter: TBD

Padres starter: Yu Darvish (7-3, 3.17 ERA)

Similar to Saturday, the Phillies have yet to announce who they will start. But using rotation patterns, Gibson and Wheeler are the most likely candidates due to rest days. Gibson would be on a full five days of rest, with Wheeler being on four days rest.

In Gibson's start against the Padres in May, he went 5.2 innings while allowing eight hits, two runs, and notching seven strikeouts. In Wheeler's start, he went seven innings while fanning nine batters.

Yu Darvish will close out the series for the Padres on Sunday. Darvish has been solid for the Padres this season. In his previous outing, Darvish went seven innings while allowing four hits and one run with five strikeouts.

First pitch: Sunday, 4:10 p.m. EST

Where to watch: NBCSP, 94.1 WIP

Players to watch:

Phillies: Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper celebrates with teammates after scoring a run against the Washington Nationals.
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Harper finds himself as the Phillies' player to watch for the series due to his recent performances on top of his career against San Diego. In the month of June, Harper is slugging .404/.492/.750 with five home runs and 16 RBI, making it his strongest month yet. Historically, Harper has always been a Padres pitcher's worst nightmare as he hits .311/.402/.603 against them. He may be the key to cracking the extremely difficult pitching rotation which has gotten the Padres far this season.

Padres: Joe Musgrove/Yu Darvish

Joe Musgrove and Manny Machado embrace after chasing a foul ball against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

As it isn't every series where Philadelphia will have to face some of the best pitchers in the league, it only makes sense to pick Musgrove and Darvish as the players to watch for the Padres. Both contribute massively to the high rankings of the Padres' pitching staff. Musgrove ranks highly in most individual statistics, placing in the 92nd percentile for xWOBA and xERA. Granted, Darvish's individual statistics don't rank highly, but he has always done well against the Phillies. In his career, Darvish has held the Phillies to a slash of just .199/.245/.312.