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The Philadelphia Phillies will host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the series opener on Friday. The Phillies have climbed up to 28-29, having just swept the Milwaukee Brewers. Since firing Joe Girardi, the Phillies have won seven straight contests and have averaged 7.8 runs per game and 2.3 against. After a rather improbable ninth-inning comeback on Thursday afternoon, the Diamondbacks were able to split their series with the Reds by taking the final game 5-4 to improve to 28-31 on the year but still sit fourth in the National League West Division.
The Phillies will go with veteran righty Kyle Gibson, who is 3-2, with a 4.40 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Despite his consistency this season, Gibson was tagged for five runs over 3 1/3 innings by the Angels in his last start. Gibson limited Arizona to just three earned runs over 12 innings in 2021, and he'll look to build off of that success on Friday.
The Diamondbacks rank sixth in MLB in home runs, but the Phillies are doing a great job of limiting barrels, so this should cancel out. On the year, Arizona ranks 25th in the league in runs per game and 27th in wRC+ despite scoring a lot of runs in their previous series.
Arizona starter Zac Gallen is 4-1 with a 2.40 ERA through 10 starts. Gallen is having an All-Star-worthy year this season, and his 0.96 WHIP and 3.25 FIP back that up. The 26-year-old has been very effective thus far, but let's look at the quality of the opponents he has faced. He recently started against the Pirates, the second-lowest-scoring team in the league, and his worst start came against the Royals, another team with a weak lineup.
"The @DBacks score 4 in the 9th to complete the comeback W!" - MLB
Gallen also averages just under 5 2/3 innings per start. Even if he can hold the Phillies' hot bats in check, his bullpen behind him, that's fourth-worst in ERA and WHIP, would have to secure the victory against a resilient Philadelphia club.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Match Details
Fixture: Arizona Diamondbacks @ Philadelphia Phillies
Date & Time: Friday, June 10, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Venue: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Betting Odds
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Best Picks
Zac Gallen has had an excellent year, but he's only lasted six frames once in his previous four starts. Three of those four outings came against pretty bad lineups. With the way the Phillies have been hitting, expect Gallen to be knocked out in or before the sixth inning.
Pick: Zac Gallen Under 17.5 Outs Recorded (-125)
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Betting Prediction
The Phillies have been on fire at the plate, led by star Bryce Harper, and they look like a completely different team from just over a week ago. This lineup has underperformed all year. They have turned it around and are clicking lately due to the managerial change.
The Phillies score runs in bunches, as they've scored three or more runs in an inning a whopping 37 times, the most in the MLB. Look for the offense to keep rolling on Friday and carry them to a victory against a Diamondbacks team that has lacked consistency.
Prediction: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (+145)
