MLB Playoffs: Phillies Vs. Cardinals Game 1 Trends, Fixtures And Keys

Here we go: The Phillies’ first playoff game in 11 years.

The Phils and Cardinals take on Friday afternoon at 2:07 p.m. on ABC in the first game of a best-of-three series.

Zack Wheeler, who threw 14 scoreless innings against the Cardinals in July, is starting for the Phillies. Jose Quintana, who served to a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts with St. Louis after a deadline trade from Pittsburgh, goes for the cards.

The Cardinals finished the season 93-69 and comfortably won the NL Central. Similar to the Phillies’ success against the Nationals and Marlins, the Cardinals did what they had to do for the bad teams in their division. They went 38-19 against the Reds, Pirates and Cubs, taking two out of three.

St. Louis finished the NL Central relatively early and led by as many as six games after August 24. The Cards haven’t played particularly well in the last three weeks of the season, going 6-9 in their last 15 games and scoring two runs or fewer in nine of their last 16.

But this is still a very talented roster with various waves of veteran presence and playoff experience. Imagine you were a young cardinal like Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman, Dylan Carlson or Tyler O’Neill, and you had late-prime vets to emulate in Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, and late-career organizational legends Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, and Adam Wainwright.

Goldschmidt is the favorite to win the NL MVP after hitting .317/.404/.578 with 41 doubles, 35 homers and 115 RBI this season. Arenado, who hit .293/.358/.533 with 42 doubles, 30 homers, 103 RBI and his trademark amazing defense, also placed in the top five of the poll. Neither had a strong September, but both were remarkably consistent from April through August.

Pujols enjoyed a resurgent season, hitting his 700th homer that same season. Wainwright and Molina broke the record for most games started from a battery. But it wasn’t just a cool story for Pujols, he was justifiably dangerous in the last two months of the season, hitting .324 with 1.128 OPS and 17 homers after August 10.

Donovan, a 25-year-old left-hander, has been extremely valuable to the Cardinals this season and could finish third in the NL Rookie of the Year race behind Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider. Playing five different defensive positions, he hit .281 with a .394 OBP and finished the season as the Cardinals’ leadoff hitter. Tommy Edman, a fast and smart baserunner who conceded 32 for 35 in stolen bases, had been at this location for most of the year.

Goldschmidt is only 5 for 23 (.217) lifetimes against Wheeler. Arenado is 5 for 14, all singles. Together, they have an extra base hit and an RBI in 41 plate appearances against the Phillies ace.

Edman is 1 for 9 and Corey Dickerson is 3 for 14, each with four strikeouts. Surprisingly, Wheeler has never faced Pujols.

The Cardinals’ starting pitcher Quintana doesn’t go deep into the games. He probably won’t be out any later than after Bryce Harper’s third record appearance, unless he throws a jewel. The Phillies’ top two lefties, Harper and Kyle Schwarber, are a combined 1 for 12 from Quintana with a single and five K’s.

Starters Adam Wainwright, Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery will all be available from the bullpen, with Miles Mikolas scheduled for Game 2 against Aaron Nola.

Rhys Hoskins saw Quintana well, hitting base with a homer in 8 of 15 plate appearances. Nick Castellanos has seen him almost as often as the rest of the team combined — he’s 11 for 49 (.275) with two homers.

A number of Phillies will make their postseason debuts – Wheeler, JT Realmuto, Jean Segura, Hoskins, Alec Bohm, obviously the rookies. Harper and Castellanos have never been part of a playoff series win. This is the opportunity everyone in the Phillies clubhouse has been waiting for.

Wheeler against a mid- to back-end starting pitcher in Quintana is a decent Game 1 setup. Despite not being victorious until Game 160, the Phillies go in with a rested bullpen and the one-two they envisioned the playoffs things out.