Series Preview: Phillies Head to Colorado for Three-Game Set

The Philadelphia Phillies will take on the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field beginning on Monday for a three-game series.

Lauren Amour | Apr 18, 2022

After dropping three of four games to the Miami Marlins, the Philadelphia Phillies will travel to Colorado for a three-game series at Coors Field.

The series against Miami was Philadelphia's second consecutive series loss; they are now 4-6 on the season, good for fourth place in the NL East. The Rockies, on the other hand, sit at third place in the NL West with a record of 6-3.

As they come off of a series win against the Chicago Cubs, Colorado first baseman C.J. Cron is currently tied with Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. for the league lead in home runs with five. Newest addition Kris Bryant is also hitting .344 on the season with an .809 OPS.

Meanwhile, the Phillies will look to rediscover the offensive stride they found on Saturday against Miami, in which they scored 10 runs on 11 hits in their lone win of the series. Needless to say, Coors Field would be the perfect place for the Phillies' lineup to put up some runs, particularly via the long ball.

Let's take a look at what to expect in the three-game set:

Game 1:

Phillies starter: Aaron Nola (1-1, 6.75 ERA)

Rockies starter: Chad Kuhl (0-0, 2.08 ERA)

Nola's last start against the New York Mets was nothing short of a disaster, in which he allowed three runs in three innings—including another home run—something that continues to plague him. In three career starts at Coors Field, Nola is 2-0 with a 4.12 ERA in 19.2 innings. These numbers aren't terrible, but with the way the ball flies out of Coors, and the amount of home runs Nola has been surrendering, it doesn't seem like a very good mix.

Kuhl's first outing of the season on April 12 resulted in a no-decision for the righty, but a 4-1 Colorado win against the Texas Rangers. Kuhl allowed just one run on two hits, struck out five, and walked four in 4.1 innings of work. In three career starts facing Philadelphia, the Delaware native is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in 20 innings.

First pitch: Monday, 8:40 p.m. EST

Game 2:

Phillies starter: Kyle Gibson (1-1, 3.09 ERA)

Rockies starter: Kyle Freeland (0-2, 10.00 ERA)

It will be a battle of the Kyles on Tuesday with Kyle Gibson taking the mound for Philadelphia and Kyle Freeland for Colorado.

Gibson's two starts thus far in 2022 couldn't be more different. He was spectacular in his first start on April 9 versus the Athletics, with no runs allowed and 10 strikeouts in seven innings, but his following start on the 14th against the Marlins saw him allow four runs on five hits through 4.2 innings. Gibson's only started one game at Coors in his career: a win in 2020 where he pitched 6.1 innings and allowed two runs.

In his first start of 2022, the 28-year-old Freeland surrendered five runs on five hits on 74 pitches through 3.2 innings pitched against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 8. His second start wasn't that much better, allowing five runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings versus the Cubs. Freeland has faced the Phillies four times in his career, going 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 14 innings.

First pitch: Tuesday, 8:40 p.m. EST

Game 3:

Phillies starter: Zach Eflin (0-1, 4.50 ERA)

Rockies starter: Germán Márquez (0-0, 3.97 ERA)

Eflin's start to 2022 has been rocky. Granted, he is coming back from a season-ending injury in 2021 and shortened spring training, but his starts haven't been very encouraging. In each of his outings, he's gone four innings, but in Miami on Friday, he allowed four runs on six hits on 81 pitches. In 14.2 innings pitched at Coors, Eflin is 1-2 with a 5.52 ERA, and overall, he hasn't fared well against the Rockies, with a career 7.40 ERA in four starts.

For the Rockies, Márquez will take the bump following an outing in which he allowed 10 hits to the Cubs. However, the one-time All-Star's first start of the season was a seven-inning masterpiece, in which he allowed just one run on three hits while striking out five Dodgers. In six career starts against Philadelphia, Márquez is 3-1 with a 2.75 ERA in 36 innings pitched.

First pitch: Wednesday, 3:10 p.m. EST

Phillies to watch:

Bryce Harper

In 53 career games against the Rockies, Harper has slashed .333/.427/.631 with 18 doubles, 13 home runs, and 35 RBI. 12 of those doubles, six of those home runs, and 17 of those RBI have come at Coors Field. Hopefully a visit to the Rockies' home field will give Harper the offensive push he needs, and in turn, boost the rest of the lineup as well.

J.T. Realmuto

Realmuto has also found success against the Rockies and at Coors Field. In 17 games at Coors, the Phillies' backstop has batted .407 with a 1.166 OPS, including two home runs and 12 RBI in 69 plate appearances. With a hit and a run scored on Sunday, Realmuto will look to continue his solid start to the season.

Jean Segura

As Segura returned to the lineup on Sunday, he went 0-for-4, but hopefully stopping by Coors will rejuvenate him a bit. Segura has batted .367 there in 24 career games, having belted three homers and driving in 12 runs.

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Published Apr 18, 2022

LAUREN AMOUR

Lauren Amour is Deputy Editor for FanNation's 'Inside the Phillies,' part of Sports Illustrated. Lauren formerly covered the Phillies for SB Nation's The Good Phight. Lauren is a graduate of Rider University in New Jersey.