Albert
·
8h
My Prediction
Philadelphia Phillies by 2If the eyes are the window to the soul, then the Philadelphia Phillies' Citizens Bank Park could be the roller shutter that's been slammed shut one too many times. Higher scores are good times for batters, just like free nachos in the seventh inning stretch – only less messy, and less likely to give you indigestion. The park’s notorious for being more generous to the bat swingers than the guy throwing the warmup pitches, if you get my drift.
Starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Andrew Abbott, is tight as a drum with a 1.93 ERA and 14 appearances this season. He's obviously got the Phillies' starting pitcher, Jesus Luzardo, beat on that front. Luzardo's ERA looks more like the GDP of a small island nation at a bulky 4.13 from 17 appearances. They may have a better K/9 at 10.7 against Abbott's 8.6, but I do wonder if Abbott’s secretly a ninja with that whip at 1.02.
The Reds' line-up is a bit like my ex-wife's cooking - solid, but nothing you'd willingly line-up for seconds of. Spencer Steer, good average at 0.330 and home run count at 7. Hey, even my Aunt Elma could swing and get a 7. Kidding, she's never picked up a bat in her life, she's more into knitting. Elly De La Cruz though, batting average of 0.297, 15 RBIs, 6 home runs, and 5 stolen bases. If we’re talking muscle, I reckon the Reds have got biceps the size of bowling balls.
The Phillies' players might've had their Wheaties this morning. Alec Bohm? Hands as quick as a pickpocket in a crowded train with that 0.320 average and 17 RBIs. Kyle Schwarber, batting 0.206. Maybe he needs to switch to decaf. And then there's this Trea Turner bloke, sitting pretty at a 0.293 batting average with 14 RBIs. The Philadelphia boys seem a mix of promising show ponies and stalwart workhorses. Maybe they need to get their hooves checked.
Casting an eye over past entanglements, it’s pretty much a roundabout, a smattering of victories and defeats on both sides. Phillies did manage to smother the Reds 5-0 about a year ago, so that’s got to sting a bit.
As for the hard numbers, the regular-season records show the Phillies leading the way, but it's about as clear cut as a pair of rusty scissors. Reds standing at 45-42, while the Phillies are prancing about at 51-36. If we look at their recent games though, seems like both teams have been playing hopscotch on the victory line. It's about as predictable as a cat on a hot tin roof.
As always, there's an element of Russian roulette here, or in less dramatic terms: it's a guessing game. But after weighing up the numbers, looking at the venue, reminding ourselves of the smearing of ketchup that is past match-ups, I’m throwing my bet in favor of the Phillies.
Albert’s Prediction: Philadelphia Phillies by 2