Philadelphia Phillies' Lefties Have an Important Role to Play Against Musgrove

The Philadelphia Phillies will hope for some big contributions from their left-handed hitters against Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove in NLCS Game 3.

As the Philadelphia Phillies welcome the San Diego Padres to Citizens Bank Park for Game 3 of the NLCS, they will be at a distinct pitching disadvantage for the first time in the series. The Padres will send 2022 All-Star Joe Musgrove to the hill, while the Phillies counter with Ranger Suárez. 

Suárez had a strong 2022 campaign overall, but he struggled in his last regular season outing and in his postseason debut. Musgrove, meanwhile, has been a strong and consistent presence in San Diego's rotation. If Philadelphia is going to win, they're going to have to get to Musgrove with their bats.

While Musgrove is a right-handed pitcher, he does not have bad platoon splits. In other words, he's had success against both right-handed and left-handed hitters this season. That being said, there is one way in which left-handed batters have been able to get to him: free passes. 

Musgrove did a terrific job limiting walks against righties in 2022, holding them to a 3.9% walk rate and 1.44 BB/9. Those were some of the best numbers amongst all right-handed starting pitchers. Against lefties, on the other hand, Musgrove issued 29 basses on balls in 403 plate appearances, good for a 7.2% walk rate and 2.61 BB/9. Those aren't bad numbers by any means, but they're significantly worse.

San Diego Padres Starting Pitcher Joe Musgrove / © Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Thankfully for the Phillies, they have Kyle Schwarber at the top of the lineup, a left-handed hitter who has done a great job of drawing walks this season. Philadelphia also has the left-handed Bryce Harper in the middle of the order, and Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott closer to the bottom. Neither Marsh nor Stott have particularly high walk-rates, but if they can focus on their plate discipline in Game 3 and earn free passes from Musgrove, it could really come in handy. 

Joe Musgrove is a good starting pitcher, and he's going to be tough to beat. Getting on base, however, will be a step in the right direction. 

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