The St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies Series Preview discusses the probable pitchers, top performers to watch, and my prediction for the Cardinals’ record in this three-game series.
Starting Friday, September 15, and ending Sunday, September 17, the St. Louis Cardinals go up against the Philadelphia Phillies in a three-game series in St. Louis. These two teams last played in late August. The Phillies swept the Cardinals in three games.
The Phillies are atop of the Chicago Cubs by one and a half games for the top National League Wild Card spot. Over their last ten games, they have 4 wins and 6 losses.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies Series Preview
Probable Pitchers
Friday: Zack Thompson (5-5, 4.06 ERA) vs. Aaron Nola (12-9, 4.64 ERA) (7:15 PM CDT)
Thomspon earned a win in his last appearance, bringing his record to an even five wins and five losses. He struck out six over five innings while allowing three bases on balls, and five hits for three earned runs.
Nola last pitched on Saturday, September 9 against the Miami Marlins. He did not factor into the decision after allowing four earned runs in four and a third innings. This marks the second straight appearance that Nola has exited in the fifth inning.
Saturday: Miles Mikolas (7-11, 4.75 ERA) vs. Ranger Suarez (2-6, 3.93 ERA) (6:15 PM CDT)
Mikolas came away with a loss the last time he faced the Phillies. In six innings, he allowed five earned runs and eight hits and struck out three batters.
Mikolas’ strikeout rate has noticeably dropped over his last seven appearances. In his first 24 games, he recorded a 16.4% strikeout rate. Over his last seven games, he’s struck out just 12.2% of batters.
Suarez has 19 starts this season. He’s recorded a 3.93 ERA, 8.69 K/9, and 3.34 BB/9. His record sits at two wins and six losses. In his five-pitch arsenal, the lefty deploys a Sinker, Four-Seam Fastball, Curveball, Changeup, and Cutter.
Sunday: Dakota Hudson (6-2, 5.10 ERA) vs. Taijuan Walker (15-5, 4.30 ERA) (1:15 PM CDT)
Hudson allowed 12 earned runs in his last two starts while completing nine and one-third innings. Before these two games, his ERA was a serviceable 4.02 but now sits at 5.10.
Walker has completed five straight games without making it past the sixth inning. He has a shoddy 5.88 ERA in this span while allowing 5.54 BB/9 and 1.69 walks plus hits per inning pitched.
Top Performers to Watch
Palacios got three hits in eight at-bats versus the Orioles. All three hits were home runs. Unfortunately, they were all solo shots, so Palacios recorded three runs and three RBI.
Palacios typically plays the outfield, but he received his first start at second base on Wednesday. With Nolan Gorman on the injured list again, Palacios may see more time at the keystone.
Contreras went four-for-six against the Orioles with four singles, one run, and two RBI. Since the start of August, the catcher is slashing .299/.375/.561 with 17 runs and 26 RBI in 121 plate appearances.
Nootbaar hasn’t been his best since returning from the injured list on September 1. In this stretch, he’s slashing .182/.321/.318 across 53 plate appearances. However, against the Orioles he did achieve his first multi-hit game since August 15.
After getting three combined hits in his last three games, I expect Nootbaar to build on the momentum and return to being a top performer against the Phillies.
Opposing Players to Watch
Turner saved his best baseball for the final two months of the season. In August/September, the shortstop is slashing .348/.393/.735 with 36 runs, 41 RBI, and a 197 wRC+.
The last time these two teams faced, Turner got four hits in 11 at-bats while scoring three runs and two RBI. Expect much of the same in this upcoming series.
Harper got four hits in 12 at-bats, including two home runs in the Phillies four-game series against the Atlanta Braves. The two-time MVP is slashing .295/.398/.486 on the season.
Harper ranks tenth in batting average, eighth in on-base percentage, and 30th in slugging among qualified batters. He’s recorded 73 runs and 61 RBI in 112 games this season.
Projected St. Louis Cardinals Record This Series: 1-2
The last time these two teams faced off, the Phillies swept the Cardinals and outscored them 22 runs to three. The Cardinals, however, have played better recently. They’ve won their last three series and outscored their opponents 51 to 47 in this span.
The Phillies have four wins and six losses over their last ten games. They’ve been outscored by four runs in this span.
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