The Philadelphia Phillies had a golden opportunity to take a 3-0 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS, but they blew their chance and dropped Game 3 after a Ketel Marte walk-off single. Now the D-backs have a chance to even the series at two games apiece, but they'll have to do so in a bullpen game. Arizona will roll out Joe Mantiply to start the game, while Philadelphia will counter with Cristopher Sanchez. Don't expect either pitcher to last more than three or four innings.
Let's break down the matchup and find some winning bets for Game 4 of the NLCS.
The Phillies clearly struggled to adjust to the enlarged dimensions at Chase Field in Game 3. This lineup is used to pumping homers over the short porches at Citizens Bank Park, but it struggled to find a groove in one of the toughest hitter's parks in MLB.
We're expecting a similar result in Game 4, especially if most of Philadelphia's hitters are going to keep swinging for the fences. The Diamondbacks are more than comfortable playing small ball and manufacturing runs without the long ball, so they'd be thrilled with another low-scoring affair.
In a bullpen game for both teams in which multiple pitchers will be switching in and out, both lineups will struggle to build any momentum at the plate. This is shaping up to be another under.
In a game with so much uncertainty surrounding the pitching rotations, we're rolling with the hottest hitter throughout the NL playoffs. Turner is batting .471 in 34 at-bats this postseason, and he's smacked at least one base hit in every game thus far.
The Phillies shortstop is 3-4 against Mantiply in his career, and we trust him to adjust to the bullpen arms more than any other batter in either lineup. Stay hot, Trea.
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