On Monday, the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies will each deploy one of their top pitchers as they kick off a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. The Astros will call on Ronel Blanco, who sports a 9-6 record and a 3.14 ERA. Blanco, however, is aiming to recover from one of his less effective performances of the season. In his previous outing, a 6-5 defeat to the Boston Red Sox, Blanco struggled significantly.
He managed only 3 2/3 innings, giving up a season-high five earned runs and issuing four walks—his first such performance since May 9. Despite the setback, Blanco remains confident about his physical condition. “Physically, I feel really strong, which is the most important thing,” Blanco said through an interpreter after the game, which ended as a no-decision for him. He remains focused on competing to the best of his ability.
Blanco’s recent struggles have seen him go without a win since July 9, and he faces a challenging matchup against the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler. Wheeler, who boasts a 12-6 record and a 2.73 ERA, is a strong contender for the National League Cy Young Award. He has allowed two runs or fewer in nine of his last ten starts, although he did take a loss in his most recent outing against the Atlanta Braves, where he allowed two runs over six innings. Wheeler expressed a preference for longer outings, stating, “I’d rather go seven innings. That’s my goal every time. Six is also good, but I also let up two runs. We lost the game. These are important games, and we need to win. We have to just keep that momentum going.
Both Blanco and Wheeler have faced each other’s teams only once before, with those appearances coming in 2023. Blanco had a brief stint against the Phillies, pitching one scoreless inning in relief. Wheeler, on the other hand, enjoyed a successful outing against the Astros, earning a win after delivering six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, contributing to a 6-1 victory for the Phillies.
Entering Monday’s game, the Phillies are buoyed by recent strong performances. They are coming off a series sweep of the Kansas City Royals, having won both games by a combined score of 22-5. In their most recent game on Sunday, the Phillies triumphed 11-3, thanks to Kyle Schwarber’s three-RBI performance and a career-best four hits from Garrett Stubbs.
Over a three-game series against Kansas City, the Phillies amassed 26 runs, a stark contrast to their lackluster showing in a previous series against the Atlanta Braves where they scored only six runs over three games. Phillies manager Rob Thomson praised his team’s approach, noting, “We got our approach back. Not trying to do too much. Pass the baton. Eliminate chase as much as you can. I thought our at-bats were really good.”
The Astros, on the other hand, have had a mixed experience in their recent series against the Baltimore Orioles. After securing a 6-0 win in the opener of the four-game set, they dropped two close games but managed to even the series with a 6-3 victory on Sunday night. Key contributions came from Alex Bregman and Yainer Diaz, who hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning.
Bregman, who had been struggling with a recent elbow injury, finished the game 2-for-5. “The swing felt the best it’s felt since coming back,” Bregman remarked. “Obviously, missing some time, you lose a little bit of the rhythm you have.”
Additionally, Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez, who has been sidelined with a neck issue, might return to the lineup on Monday after missing three consecutive games. This series also rekindles a postseason rivalry as it marks a rematch of the 2022 World Series, which the Astros won in six games. Last season, the Phillies managed to win two out of three encounters with the Astros, and this series represents the only meeting between the two teams this year.
