(Photo credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports)
Both the Houston Astros and the host Philadelphia Phillies will send one of their best pitchers to the mound on Monday when the teams meet to open a three-game series.
Houston will turn to Ronel Blanco (9-6, 3.14 ERA), who is looking to rebound from one of his worst performances of the season. The right-hander lasted just 3 2/3 innings in last Tuesday’s 6-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox, allowing a season-high five earned runs and walking four batters for the first time since May 9.
“Physically, I feel really strong and that’s the most important thing,” Blanco said through an interpreter after that no-decision start. “I’m trying to go out there and compete.”
Blanco hasn’t won since July 9, and he’ll have a hard time breaking that rut when he faces Philadelphia right-hander Zack Wheeler (12-6, 2.73).
Wheeler, one of the leading candidates for the National League Cy Young Award, has allowed two or fewer runs in nine of his last 10 games. The All-Star allowed two runs in six innings in a loss to the Atlanta Braves last Tuesday.
“I’d rather go seven (innings),” Wheeler said. “That’s my goal every time. Six is good, but I also allowed two runs. We lost the game. These are important games and we have to win. We just have to keep this momentum going.”
Both starters have made one career appearance against Monday’s opposing team, and both will return in 2023. Blanco allowed two hits in a scoreless inning in relief against the Phillies. Wheeler is 1-0 against the Astros after allowing three hits and a walk and recording seven strikeouts in six scoreless innings of a 6-1 Philadelphia victory.
The Phillies enter Monday with some momentum after defeating the Kansas City Royals in back-to-back games by a combined score of 22-5. In Sunday’s 11-3 win, Kyle Schwarber scored three runs and Garrett Stubbs had a career-high four hits.
Overall, the Phillies scored 26 runs in three games against Kansas City after scoring a total of six runs in a disappointing three-game series in Atlanta.
“We’ve found our approach again,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said. “We’re not trying to do too much. We’re passing the baton. We’re avoiding as many chases as possible. I thought our at-bats were really good.”
The Astros, meanwhile, have endured a rocky series against the Baltimore Orioles. They won the first game of the four-game series 6-0 on Thursday before losing two close games. Houston was able to salvage a tie in the series with a 6-3 victory on Sunday night.
Alex Bregman and Yainer Diaz provided the heroics with two consecutive home runs in the seventh inning.
Bregman finished the night 2-of-5. He had hit 3-of-17 since returning from a week-long absence due to an elbow injury.
“The swing felt better than it has since I got back,” Bregman said. “Obviously, when you miss some time, you lose a little bit of your rhythm.”
Astros hitter Yordan Alvarez (neck) could be ready to play Monday after missing three straight games.
This series will also be a rematch of the 2022 World Series, which Houston won in six games. Philadelphia won two of the three meetings between the teams last season, and this series is the only meeting between the Phillies and Astros this year.
–Field level media
