After swiping two games from the New York Mets over the weekend, the Los Angeles Angels head to Citizens Bank Park to take on the Philadelphia Phillies for a three-game set.
The Angels come into play on Aug. 28 in a completely different spot than their opponent. Carrying a record of 63-68, and 10.5 games out of a Wild Card slot, their job now is to evaluate the roster moving forward while staying as healthy as possible.
The Phllies hold the top slot for the first National League Wild Card, sitting at 72-58 with a 3.5 lead over the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card chase. This matchup hasn’t happened since last season, when the Angels were swept in a three-game set on the road.
Dating back to 2003, the Angels have won 12 of 16 games against the Phillies.
Angels manager Phil Nevin will rely on some of his struggling arms to navigate their way through a talented Phillies lineup, one that has a way of forcing starters out of games. The main issue is how rough of a season it has been for Tyler Anderson and Reid Detmers, those two will be tasked with finishing out the series on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Right-hander Lucas Giolito is tasked with taking the opening game on Monday, lining up with Taijuan Walker of the Phillies. Giolito hasn’t had much to highlight recently, taking the loss in his last start against the Cincinnati Reds after allowing just one earned run over six innings.
His nine strikeouts were his highest total as a member of the Angels, and his five hits were the second-lowest in his five starts with his new club. But he’s failed to eliminate traffic on the bases, and the offense hasn’t done much in terms of fair run support to reinforce his efforts.
The Phillies come into the series with a bevy of very solid offensive players on a hot stretch in the month of August. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turer, Nick Castellanos, Jake Cave, Bryson Stott, Johan Rojas and J.T. Realmuto have all registered at-least 50 plate appearances this month, and have logged a 115 wRC+ or higher.
Harper, Schwarber, Castellanos and Turner are names to lookout for, as they’ve had the most to do with the Phillies current run.
Angels vs. Phillies Preview & TV Info
Game 1
Monday, Aug. 28, 3:40 p.m. PST
TV: Bally Sports West
Lucas Giolito vs. Taijuan Walker
Game 2
Tuesday, Aug. 29, 3:40 p.m. PST
TV: Bally Sports West
Tyler Anderson vs. Michael Lorenzen
Game 3
Wednesday, Aug. 30, 10:05 a.m. PST
TV: Bally Sports West
Reid Detmers vs. TBD
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