The Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres will return for Game 2 of the NLCS tonight (October 19) after a stunning game 1 in the MLB.
The Phillies are one-up in the best-of-seven series after stealing game 1 in San Diego last night. If the Padres can't come up with an answer in Game 2, the Phillies could be sailing smoothly back to Philadelphia.
The Padres will look to get things started with LHP Blake Snell for Game 2. Snell has seen the Phillies twice this season; his numbers aren't very comforting but aren't enough to panic over.
After going nine innings and giving up seven runs, Snell will have to throw his best stuff against the Phillies. Last night, the two sluggers for Philadelphia were on full display, so Snell will have to shut them down from the first innings. He has post-season experience, which could stand him in good stead. The offense will need to provide some support after being shut out.
The Phillies, meanwhile, are pitching RHP Aaron Nola for Game 2. He's only given up one run in almost 13 innings in the playoffs, so he's battle-proven this year. He faced the Padres once earlier in the regular season, only allowing one run in seven innings. If he repeats that here, Blake Snell will have to match it. Nola will look to continue the shut-out of the Padres and handover a clean sheet to the bullpen in (ideally) late innings.
The Phillies needed their two sluggers to step up and keep the offense rolling, and they did exactly that. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber both hit solo home runs in Game 1 and were the only runs scored. If the two can keep the bats rolling, tonight will be a make-or-break test for San Diego.
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Philadelphia Phillies vs San Diego Padres Match Details
Fixture: Philadelphia Phillies @ San Diego Padres
Date and Time: Wednesday, October 19 (4:35 pm EST)
Venue: Petco Park
Philadelphia Phillies vs San Diego Padres Betting Odds
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Philadelphia Phillies vs San Diego Padres Betting Prediction
Blake Snell and Aaron Nola will look for another low scoring battle in Game 2. The pitching should be solid from the start, and the bullpens will get a near scoreless game handed to them.
Look for the Padres to either rally late and take the lead or keep pace and hold their lead. Machado and Co. should get the job done and get the team back on track here.
Prediction: Padres Moneyline (-116), Padres Most Hits (+130)