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The Philadelphia Phillies head to Petco Park to take on the San Diego Padres in a marquee Saturday night matchup airing nationally on FOX at 7:35 PM ET. This game features two playoff-hopeful clubs and a premier pitching duel between Zack Wheeler and Yu Darvish. Expect high stakes and big-name performances in this East vs West showdown.
The Phillies have been one of the most complete teams in baseball this season. Entering today, they sit atop the NL East with a 54–39 record, showing consistency in all phases of the game. Their success has been largely driven by an elite pitching rotation that boasts the lowest team ERA in the National League.
At the top of that rotation is Zack Wheeler, who has been dominant all season long. The veteran right-hander is 9–3 with a 2.17 ERA and recently turned in one of the best outings of the year, a complete-game one-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds on July 6 in which he struck out 12 and let up 1 hit. That performance solidified his status as a top-tier ace and made him the favorite to win the NL Cy Young.
Offensively, the Phillies have stayed afloat even through injuries to key players. Bryce Harper recently returned to the lineup and finally found his form against the Giants, going 4-6 with 3 doubles and 1 home run in a game where the Phillies won 13-0. Alec Bohm continues to stay hot ever since his infamous poor start in April, while Kyle Schwarber is having a fantastic year, batting .253 with 29 home runs. But perhaps the most intriguing player heading into Saturday’s contest is Phillies leadoff hitter Trea Turner, who is starting to heat up in July and is batting .294 with an OPS of .783.
The Padres come into this game with a 49–43 record, sitting right in the middle of the NL Wild Card race. That said, the Padres offense has been wildly inconsistent. Despite a lineup featuring Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts, San Diego has struggled to produce runs, ranking near the bottom of the league in home runs and slugging percentage during recent weeks.
The bats have shown flashes but haven’t strung together sustained momentum. Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill has returned from injury and is playing like one of the premier defensive center fielders in the league, robbing two home runs in recent weeks. Merrill has struggled at the plate recently, but once his bat comes back, the Padres should receive another offensive boost.
Yu Darvish recently returned from a stint on the injured list and will be making just his second start since late May. In his first outing back, he lasted only 3.2 innings and was pulled after just 63 pitches. While Darvish has the tools to be elite, his recent workload limitations and rust make him a question mark against a good Phillies lineup.
This game comes down to starting pitching and clutch offense. With Zack Wheeler in peak form, the Phillies have a clear edge on the mound. Wheeler has been nearly unhittable lately, and his command has been elite. Expect him to attack early and efficiently against a Padres team that has struggled to string together hits. Offensively, one player should be taking full advantage of Yu Darvish’s injuries, and that is Trea Turner.
Not only is Turner heating up lately, but he also has a great track record against Yu Darvish. He is batting .300 with 6 hits in 20 career at-bats, including a home run and 3 RBIs. Turner’s speed and gap power give him multiple paths to exceeding 1.5 total bases, whether it is through a pair of singles or one well-timed double. With Darvish still ramping up and Turner locked in at the plate and expected to see at least 4 plate appearances, this is a prime opportunity for him to rack up some bases.
Ian is a lifelong sports fan and Temple University graduate who specializes in the NFL, NBA, MLB and European Soccer and is a diehard Philly sports fan.