Swinging for October: Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres Face Off Before the Break
By Clint Mintzer

  With the All-Star break in sight, the Phillies and Padres square off in a series that could reveal who’s truly built to shine when October comes around.

  We’ve got quite a matchup on our hands with the Philadelphia Phillies (54–39) facing off against the San Diego Padres (49–43) in a weekend series. The Phillies head to San Diego to finish off their West Coast road trip leading into the All-Star break. This series should be a good test for both teams trying to find their stride—a real test of who’s a legitimate contender heading into the second half of the season.

  Philadelphia is 6–4 in its last 10 games, averaging just around 3.4 runs per game. While the Phillies have shown signs of life, they struggled in their most recent series against San Francisco. They lost the first game 3–1 and then dropped a heartbreaker in Game 2. Heading into the ninth inning, Giants catcher Patrick Bailey hit a three-run, inside-the-park walk-off homer—something no catcher had done since 1926.

  This left the Philly faithful crushed and losing hope in the team they’ve grown to love. However, in the final game of that series, the Phils came in with a fire and determination that fans hadn’t seen in a long time. First baseman Bryce Harper finally looked like his old self again after coming off his injury, smashing four extra-base hits, including a homer. Phillies fans are hoping Harper continues that form past the All-Star break.

  On the other side, the Padres are 4–6 in their last 10 games, averaging only 2.6 runs per game. After a red-hot 7–0 start to the season, they’ve cooled off and are now fighting to stay in the mix in a tough NL West. They’re led by third baseman Manny Machado and right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr.—both All-Stars this year—but they’ll need more help if they want to keep pace with the Dodgers and Giants.

  The Phillies and Padres have already played each other this season, with the Phillies winning the series convincingly. Each game they won was by four runs, while the Padres’ lone win came by two. Historically, the Phillies have had the Padres’ number, holding an all-time record of 289–226, and they’ve played well at Petco Park, too.

  One game to circle on your calendar is Saturday’s matchup on FOX. Zack Wheeler is set to face off against Yu Darvish in what promises to be an electric pitching duel. Wheeler, the current favorite for the National League Cy Young, holds a 9–3 record with a 2.17 ERA. Darvish, though limited to just one start this year due to injury, is still one of the best pitchers in baseball when healthy.

  If the Phillies can maintain the momentum from their big Wednesday win against the Giants, and if Harper stays hot, they should edge this series. They'll also need strong performances from second baseman Bryson Stott, catcher J.T. Realmuto, and third baseman Alec Bohm—all of whom have had big games against the Padres in the past.

  That said, don’t count the Padres out. Machado and Tatis Jr. are superstars who can shift the momentum in a single swing.

  With all that in mind, I’m picking the Phillies to take two out of three and ride that momentum into the break.