The Philadelphia Phillies will look to take a commanding 2-0 as they face the San Diego Padres in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. It's time for our MLB odds series as we make a Phillies-Padres Game 2 prediction and pick.
It was the first time the Phillies and Padres ever faced off in the NLCS and the first matchup between two teams that won less than 90 games in the regular season.
The Phillies beat the Padres 2-0 in Game 1 in a pitching masterclass that featured two critical mistakes. It was scoreless in the fourth inning when Bryce Harper came up to bat. Then, Harper lifted one to deep left field, just over the head of Jurickson Profar, for a solo home run. It was his fourth home run of the playoffs, giving the Phillies the 1-0 lead. Later in the sixth inning, Kyle Schwarber clobbered a monster shot, a 488-foot bomb to right field for a solo home run, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead. It was the hardest-hit home run in the Statcast era.
Zack Wheeler tossed seven scoreless innings while allowing one hit. Then, Seranthony Dominguez pitched a scoreless eighth to set it up for closer Jose Alvarez in the ninth. Alvarez made things interesting when he walked Profar, and then Juan Soto reached on Alec Bohm's throwing error, resulting in runners at first and second with one out. Ultimately, he got Manny Machado to fly out and struck Josh Bell out to preserve the victory.
Yu Darvish pitched admirably for the Padres but made two mistakes that haunted him throughout the rest of the game. Likewise, home runs have been an issue for him throughout these playoffs.
Aaron Nola will take the mound for the Phillies in Game 2. Nola is 2-0 with an 0.00 ERA in the playoffs. Recently, he tossed six innings while allowing one run, none earned, on five hits with six strikeouts in Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves. It followed the wildcard series where he allowed no one runs on four hits with six strikeouts through 6 2/3 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Blake Snell takes the mound for the Padres in Game 2. Snell is 1-0 with a 3.12 ERA in the playoffs. Recently, he tossed 5 1/3 innings while allowing one earned run on five hits with six strikeouts in Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a better performance than his wildcard start against the New York Mets, where he went 3 1/3 innings while allowing two earned runs on four hits with six walks.
Here are the Phillies-Padres MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Phillies-Padres Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+176)
San Diego Padres: +1.5 (-215)
Over: 6.5 (-124)
Under: 6.5 (+102)
Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread
Harper, Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins, and J.T. Realmuto are the players to watch as the Phillies attempt to take a dominating lead back to Philadelphia. Harper went 1 for 4 last night with a solo home run. However, he is just 1 for 7 in his career against Snell, with a home run and two RBIs over nine plate appearances. Schwarber went 2 for 3 with a home run last night. Likewise, he is 1 for 4 against Snell. Hoskins struggled last night, going 0 for 4. Conversely, he is 1 for 3 against Snell in his career. Realmuto went 0 for 4 last night. Additionally, he is 4 for 10 in his career against Snell.
The Phillies won behind superb pitching and clutch hitting last night at the right moments. However, they managed three hits as a team and must clobber the ball more to have a chance in this one.
The Phillies will cover the spread if Harper, Schwarber, Hoskins, and Realmuto can build momentum against Snell and hit the baseball efficiently. Also, they must control the San Diego sluggers once again.
Why The Padres Could Cover The Spread
The Padres could not hit the baseball last night, managing one measly hit. Consequently, it wasted a brilliant outing by Darvish. Profar, Soto, Machado, and Jake Cronenworth must contribute for the Padres to have a chance of evening up this series.
Profar went 0 for 3 last night. Also, he is 1 for 5 in his career against Nola. Soto went 0 for 3 while reaching on an error. Coincidentally, he faced Nola many times, going 9 for 33 with three home runs and six RBIs over 47 plate appearances. Machado went 0 for 4, including an excellent opportunity in the ninth. Subsequently, he is just 1 for 13 in his matchup with Nola. Bell was supposed to be a significant addition and went 0 for 4 last night. Significantly, he is 3 for 19 with a home run and three RBIs over 20 plate appearances. Cronenworth went 0 for 3 last night. Moreover, he is 1 for 7 against Nola.
The Padres will cover the spread if they can spring together more hits. Ultimately, they cannot expect their pitching to throw near-perfect games every outing if they wish to compete in this series.
Final Phillies-Padres Game 2 Prediction & Pick
Neither team hit the ball well last night. However, it will be a day game, and really hot in San Diego. The Phillies and Padres will score more runs today, if barely.
Final Phillies-Padres Game 2 Prediction & Pick: Over: 6.5 (-124)
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