Marlins aren’t a pleasant sight for Phillies
Is it really October if you don’t conquer some demons?
The Phillies will get their chance against the Marlins, a team that has been a perennial thorn in their side over the past several seasons. Thanks to the Diamondbacks’ loss to the Astros on Sunday, Miami clinched the No. 5 seed and a wild-card date at Citizens Bank Park. The Marlins may be the most improbable team in this year’s playoff field, but they aren’t one the Phillies will take lightly. Miami won the regularseason series between the two teams, taking seven out of 13 games. It was the second time in the last three years the Marlins had the head-tohead edge.
The Phillies will be heavy favorites in this series. Everybody knows why. But here are three reasons to fear the Fish.
The Phillies are 0-2 this season against Jesus Luzardo, the Marlins’ presumptive Game 1 starter.
Not only that, but both of the wins came with Aaron Nola on the mound for the Phillies. More on that later. First: Luzardo.
He hasn’t gotten the publicity of other starters in the NL field, but there’s an argument he’s the one you’d least like to face right now. In his last seven starts, the 26-yearold Peruvian left-hander has a 2.61 ERA with even better fielding independent numbers: 48 strikeouts, 14 walks, and just one home run in 411⁄3 innings.
That’s more or less
what Luzardo’s opponents have seen all season.
He has quality starts in 17 of his 32 appearances. More intimidating:
he’s held opponents to one run or less in 14 starts.
The Phillies know first-hand. In two games against Lizard, they’ve scored a total of five runs with 12 hits, two walks and 14 strikeouts and 121⁄3 innings.
The Marlins have four tough lefties in the bullpen.
Miami’s bullpen has hardly been Shutdown City this season.
But the unit is uniquely constructed to be a pain the Phillies’ side. A.J. Puk and Tanner Scott are a couple of southpaws who’ve both spent time as the team’s closer.
In front of them are Andrew Nardi and Steven Okert.
This is going to be a big series for Trea Turner and Alec Bohm.
The Marlins have Nola’s number.
They scored at least four runs against him in each of his three regularseason starts against Miami. That included five home runs in 16 innings of work. Nola had a solid end to the season, with a 2.60 ERA, 17 strikeouts, one walk, and one home run allowed in his last 171⁄3 innings over three starts. The biggest number is that one home run.
In his first 29 starts of the season, Nola allowed 31 in 1761⁄3 innings.
The Phillies should have the edge in Game 2 against either Braxton Garrett or Johnny Cueto.
But that depends heavily on Nola avoiding a crooked number.
The Phillies have earned the benefit of the doubt with their consistent ability to rise to the occasion over the last year. Bryce Harper and Zack Wheeler are the two biggest reasons to believe.
But crazy things can happen in a short series.