Phillies news and rumors 10/3: Matchups to monitor in Phillies-Marlins Wild Card Series

Gregory Soto might be tasked with some important outs against Luis Arráez this week. (Cheryl Pursell/Phillies Nation)

This is the time of year where every decision is magnified tenfold. Pull a pitcher one batter too late? Watch the rest of the postseason from home. Pick the wrong lefty out of the bullpen? Pick the right hotel in Cancún.

In a best-of-three series, that managerial pressure is even greater. With that in mind, here are some individual matchups between the Phillies and Marlins that carry some notable history — for better or for worse — that each manager should jot down ahead of Game 1. (All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and Stat h ead.)

Josh Bell vs. Jeff Hoffman; Josh Bell vs. Craig Kimbrel

Each of the past few seasons, Bell has fared better against left-handed pitching than against right-handed pitching. That split has been especially drastic this year: The notorious Phillie Killer is slashing .239/.310/.387 against righties and .265/.360/.494 against southpaws in 2023.

The Phillies, naturally, are going to want to summon a righty to retire Bell in a big spot. They should tread carefully.

Each of the Phillies’ top two righty relievers has had trouble with Bell historically: He’s 5-for-8 with a double and no strikeouts against Hoffman and 4-for-5 with a double, two homers and no strikeouts against Kimbrel. Seranthony Domínguez (1-for-3, one K) and Orion Kerkering (no sample) might be better bets for Rob Thomson.

Alec Bohm vs. Tanner Scott

Scott has been the Marlins’ best reliever this season, and the lefty will almost certainly be summoned against Bryce Harper and either Kyle Schwarber or Bryson Stott late in a game. If Stott, it could spell an opportunity for Bohm.

If he’s hitting between Harper and Stott — which is likely, unless the Phillies pencil in Harper at cleanup to distance him from Schwarber — Bohm will get to face the southpaw against whom he’s 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles in his career. Given that Harper and Stott handle lefties well anyway, that 3-4-5 stretch might be an opportunity for the Phillies to neutralize Miami’s closer, perhaps in a ninth-inning rally.

Luis Arráez vs. Gregory Soto

Assuming Arráez is in the lineup, or at least on the bench, in the Wild Card Series — and Miami manager Skip Schumaker seems confident he’ll start — he’s going to be a tough out all week.

Enter: Soto, who’s held Arráez hitless in eight at bats, including an 0-for-3 mark in a 2023 season that saw Arráez hit .354 overall. Soto can be a bit of a wild card — pun absolutely intended — but this lefty-on-lefty matchup should be one Thomson and co. pursue.

Nick Castellanos vs. David Robertson

The Marlins’ bullpen is known for its lefties, which means Robertson might be their top right-handed relief option in the Wild Card Series. If he’s trusted with the J.T. Realmuto – Nick Castellanos part of the order, the latter might stand to benefit.

Castellanos is 4-for-13 with a pair of homers against Robertson, including this go-ahead shot that came on the heels of a dreadful July offensively. He has, though, struck out six times in 14 plate appearances against Robertson, which makes for a potential boom-or-bust matchup, should the Marlins choose it.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. vs. Matt Strahm

Chisholm is another tough lefty who might give the Phillies problems this week, but Strahm might be a solution. Chisholm is 0-for-6 with four strikeouts in his career against Strahm, and if the Phillies are intimidated by this backbreaking homer Chisholm hit off a 100-mph Alvarado fastball in 2021, they don’t have to look far for a viable alternative lefty.

Must-read (or watch, or listen) Phillies content

Phillies Nation‘s Destiny Lugardo predicted the Phillies’ Wild Card Series roster.
Phillies Nation‘s Tim Kelly wrote about Zack Wheeler’s rise to stardom in Philadelphia.
The Phillies will miss Rhys Hoskins this October. Phillies Nation‘s Ty Daubert took a trip down memory lane to last postseason, in which Hoskins made his power presence felt.
Nick Castellanos once rooted for the Marlins. He once wanted to play for the Marlins. Now, he’ll try to eliminate the Marlins. Matt Gelb of The Athletic wrote about how he grapples with that and has embraced his new home.
Skip Schumaker was part of the Cardinals team that upset the Phillies in the 2011 NLDS. Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote about how he’s using that experience to ignite his Marlins.
The latest Phillies Nation Podcast with Nathan Ackerman and Ty Daubert analyzes all things Phillies-Marlins, including the roster, positional comparisons, predictions and way, way more. Listen now in anticipation of Game 1.

Former Phillie Nation

Tuesday, Game 1 of the 2023 Wild Card Series, will mark exactly one year since the Phillies ensured Jean Segura would end his reign as the active leader in games played without a postseason appearance. Who will Segura — who spent 2019-22 with the Phillies but played 85 games for the Marlins this year and thus would get a ring if they win the World Series — root for in the Jean Segura Series?