USATSI_18505068 — Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

Phillies Look for Third Straight Sweep; Host Diamondbacks

The Philadelphia Phillies host the Arizona Diamondbacks as they look to sweep three teams in a row.

Author:
Declan Harris
Jun 10, 2022 10:45 AM EDT

To say that the Philadelphia Phillies have been anything but untouchable, would be an understatement. With Thursday's victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, their win streak extends to seven games, their longest streak since August 2021.

The Phillies' offense has come alive as of late, as they lead the MLB in team slugging percentage, while also ranking highly in team batting average and OPS in the month of June.

Kyle Schwarber celebrates Bryce Harper's three-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

This surge has had some integral players, with Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber both slugging well over .265/.375/.800 along with four home runs and a plethora of RBIs for each.

Since coming back from the IL, Didi Gregorius has been a great contact hitter, with two triples being his most notable contributions.

The pitching staff has also been at the top of their game over the course of the streak. Aaron Nola has been living up to his image, going eight innings while fanning eight batters.

Philadelphia will take on an in-form Arizona Diamondbacks team, as they find themselves on a two-game win streak.

The Diamondbacks' recent success can be credited to their offense. The likes of Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, and Pennsylvania-native Christian Walker, are to be credited for their results.

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

Game One:

Phillies Starter: Kyle Gibson (3-2, 4.40 ERA)

Diamondbacks Starter: Zac Gallen (4-1, 2.40 ERA)

Kyle Gibson opens the series for the Phillies on Friday, coming off of a rocky start against the Los Angeles Angels. Gibson's 3.1 inning outing was the shortest performance of the season, so he'll be looking for a change of pace on Friday.

New Jersey-native Zac Gallen will get the start on Friday. Gallen comes into the performance off of his first loss in a season that has seen him be spotless from the mound. Gallen holds a 2.40 ERA, which is in part due to him holding opposing offenses to .191/.262/.304.

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

Where to Watch: NBCSP/94.1 WIP

Game Two:

Phillies Starter: Zack Wheeler (4-3, 3.14 ERA)

Diamondbacks Starter: Madison Bumgarner (2-5, 3.64 ERA)

Zack Wheeler's recent performances have been nothing short of stellar. Over Wheeler's previous five starts he has held batters to .236/.281/.326 while holding a 1.86 ERA and a 1.64 FIP.

Madison Bumgarner's start to the season has been shaky if nothing else, as he enters the third month of play with a 3.64 ERA and a 5.01 FIP. His previous few starts haven't helped him out as he has allowed 11 earned runs over his previous three starts.

First Pitch: Saturday, 4:05 P.M. EST

Where to Watch: NBCSP/94.1 WIP

Game Three:

Phillies Starter: Ranger Suarez (4-3, 4.42 ERA)

Diamondbacks Starter: TBD

Ranger Suarez will close the series for the Phillies on Sunday, looking to make it two solid starts in a row. In his previous start against the Brewers, Suarez pitched seven innings while only allowing two runs and striking out five batters.

Although the Diamondbacks have not announced who is pitching for them on Sunday, history would say that it may be Merrill Kelly. Kelly's previous outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates was a great showing, only allowing one hit with five strikeouts over six innings.

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

Where to Watch: NBCSP/94.1 WIP

Players to Watch:

Phillies: Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper extends the Philadelphia Phillies lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the top of the ninth inning.
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Harper has been on another one of his MVP caliber streaks with no sign of slowing down. Over the previous ten games, Harper is hitting .279/.373/.674 with five home runs and 14 RBI. These contributions have been more than enough on multiple occasions to give the Phillies the runs that they so desperately needed. Throughout his career, Harper has always fancied himself as a slugger against the Diamondbacks. Harper hits .308/.406/.521 against the Diamondbacks and will look to raise these numbers in the coming games.

Diamondbacks: Ketel Marte

Ketel Marte scores against the Miami Marlins.
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Marte has been on a tear over his previous ten games, slugging .368/.455/.684 in that period. Another stat to mention is his .359 career batting average against Philadelphia, which is his second-highest batting average against opposing clubs. His offensive heroics are going to be a key part of why this may be a difficult series for the Phillies. Against the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching, a team that holds opposing teams to .219, Marte is hitting .242 against them this season. The point being that Philadelphia's pitching staff will really have to keep Marte in check, as he is capable of capitalizing against even the best pitchers.