Phillies look for second straight series victory as they take on Mets

After appearing to be dead in the water over the last few weeks, the Philadelphia Phillies finally showed their fight and took two of three from the Miami Marlins over the weekend. The Phillies hope to continue their winning ways as they take on the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park

Sitting six-and-a-half games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East with 14 games left to play, the Phillies will look for strong starts from the top of their rotation, particularly from Aaron Nola, who will try to bounce back from his last outing and will continue to build his case for both the National League Cy Young Award and National League MVP Award. The Mets pitchers that are taking the mound this series may not appear to be particularly intimidating, although Zack Wheeler does carry an impressive 3.23 ERA, which looks masterful when compared to Jason Vargas’ ERA. Regardless, the Phillies can’t afford to overlook anyone they face going forward, considering where they are in the standings.

This season, the Phillies have a record of 6-10 against the Mets, with the Mets taking two of three in their last meeting on September seventh to the ninth. The Mets also have a 4-3 record at Citizens Bank Park in 2018.

Matchups:
Game 1:
Monday, Sept. 17th, 7:05 p.m.
Zack Wheeler (11-7, 3.23 ERA, 3.19 FIP) vs. Jake Arrieta (10-9, 3.66 ERA, 4.22 FIP)
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP

Game 2:
Tuesday, Sept. 18th, 7:05 p.m.
 Jason Vargas (6-9, 6.47 ERA, 5.42 FIP) vs. Aaron Nola (16-5, 2.42 ERA, 2.97 FIP)
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP

Game 3:
Wednesday, Sept. 19th, 7:05 p.m.
Steven Matz (5-11, 4.18 ERA, 4.68 FIP) vs. Zach Eflin (10-7, 4.26 ERA, 3.88 FIP)
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP

Series Notes:

1. Over his last seven games, Rhys Hoskins has hit .321 with nine hits in 28 at-bats. Hoskins has two home runs and five RBIs over that same period. Hoskins currently leads the Phillies with 31 home runs.
2. The Mets might be Aaron Nola’s favorite team to play, as he has been lights out against them. In five starts versus the Mets this season, Nola is 4-0 with a 1.97 ERA, with 37 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched.
3. After having a one percent chance of making the playoffs on Friday, the Phils now have a two percent chance after taking two of three from the Marlins. Progress nonetheless. That number could improve drastically in the coming days, as the Braves are getting set to take on the 81-68 Cardinals in a three game series.
4. Longtime Mets icon David Wright recently announced his intentions to step away from baseball after injuries have kept the third baseman off the field since 2016. In 188 games against the Phillies, Wright has batted .285 with 36 home runs and 121 RBIs.
5. Maikel Franco is still dealing with injuries, as he didn’t take the field Sunday. Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana have seen playing time at third in Franco’s absence. Seeing Santana at third could be a common occurrence as the season draws to a close, which could end up causing Hoskins to move back to first base.