Coming off a four game in Cincinnati, the Philadelphia Phillies continue their road trip as they head to Boston for a short two game series against the Red Sox.
After losing three of four in the Queen City, the Phillies will turn to their best two arms in this series: Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta.
Monday evening, we will see a battle of two pitchers with All-Star Game experience on their resumes as Nola will be going up against five-time All-Star David Price for the Red Sox. Despite a strong track record, Price’s tenure in Boston has been largely unsuccessful, as he has a 4.17 ERA and 4.29 FIP in 2018. Those numbers are very underwhelming for someone making $30 million this season, although Price has won his last two starts. Meanwhile, Nola has been one of the National League’s best starters in 2018, but is looking to rebound from a rather pedestrian start against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Tuesday.
In game two of the series, Jake Arrieta will get the ball for the Phillies. Arrieta will look to put a bow on what has been a strong month of July (he’s 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA). He will be facing off against Drew Pomeranz, who is trending in the opposite direction. Currently his ERA is close to seven and his in last three starts he is 0-2 and has given up at least four runs in each of those outings.
The Red Sox are on pace to win over 100 games in 2018, so this series will certainly serve as a test. But in a postseason series, the Phillies will be playing quite good teams with similar pitching matchups, so this series could offer a glimpse of what October could look like.
Pitching Matchups
Game 1: Aaron Nola (12-3, 2.42 ERA, 2.71 FIP) vs. David Price (11-6, 4.17 ERA, 4.29 FIP)
Game 2: Jake Arrieta (8-6, 3.45 ERA, 4.11 FIP) vs. Drew Pomeranz (1-4, 6.91 ERA, 5.71 FIP)
Where to Watch/Listen
Game 1
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia, ESPN
Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
Game 2
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia, ESPN
Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
Series Notes