Philadelphia Phillies Scheduled to Face Astros Aces in Final Series

The Philadelphia Phillies were hoping the Houston Astros would take it easy in their final series of the season. That is not to be the case.

Author:
Ben Silver
Oct 1, 2022 12:19 PM EDT

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Philadelphia Phillies

The Houston Astros have already clinched the American League's top seed. They have nothing to do but wait for the postseason, sending out their scrubs as fodder for their final five games of the regular season, or so it would be in a perfect world.

Instead, Astros' manager Dusty Baker has decided against that strategy. For Houston's final series of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies, they will pitch their trio of aces: Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, and Lance McCullers Jr.

That same mindset was the one that doomed the 2011 Phillies when they played starters against the Atlanta Braves in game 162. Clearly, the Astros haven't learned that lesson.

With 102 wins already on the board, Houston wants more. They are a buzz saw that is never satiated, with elite starting pitching, a booming offense and a shutdown bullpen. The Phillies could face no tougher opponent over their final three games, barring the Los Angeles Dodgers.

But to truly overcome adversity, one must face the hardest test. Perhaps the Phillies felt the Chicago Cubs would be pushovers, allowing themselves to be swept last week. That mentality will not be the case coming into this series, it can not.

The three starters which the Astros will send against the Phillies lineup are three of the best pitchers in the AL, maybe the three best pitchers in the AL.

Verlander looks likely to take home his third Cy Young award, leading all MLB pitchers with a 1.80 ERA and a 0.847 WHIP. Across 170.0 innings and 27 starts he has decimated AL hitters.

Valdez meanwhile set the record for the longest ever streak of quality starts with 25 in a row in 2022. A quality start is set when a pitcher throws at least six innings and allows fewer than three runs. He is perhaps the most consistent pitcher in MLB.

Finally, McCullers Jr. is still working his way back from a right forearm strain he suffered last postseason. It kept him on the 60-day IL through Aug. 13, but since then he's been just as dominant as his top-of-the-rotation partners.

His 2.38 ERA would place fifth overall in the AL were he qualified, behind only Verlander, Dylan Cease, Alek Manoah and Shohei Ohtani.

The Phillies one saving grace may be that the Astros do not intend to push their starters. It would be a fool that sends their ace out for 110 pitches in a meaningless game only to get injured, and Baker is no fool.

Nevertheless, his words ring out, as Baker intends to play his best starters, "for the integrity of the game."

The Phillies have forced themselves into this position. Just weeks ago they were 4.5 games up of the Milwaukee Brewers for the third Wild Card with the tiebreaker in hand. Having exhausted all the wiggle room they have, Philadelphia must prove they belong in the postseason.

If they can't beat the best teams, they don't deserve to play with the best teams.