Written by: The Persian
The playoff-bound Milwaukee Brewers get set to clash against the streaking Philadelphia Phillies in the third of a four-game set Wednesday night inside American Family Field from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They toss out the first pitch at 7:40 pm. Both teams have had very nice seasons and have high expectations come playoff time.
Bookmaker has installed the Phillies -120 ML.
The Phillies are inching closer to another NL East crown, and they believe they have the talent and depth to make a deep run into the postseason. They have a stacked lineup and veteran-tested players. They know how to win late and when it matters the most.
The Phillies had a bump in the road earlier in the season, but they have righted the ship.
On offense, they have a ton of power, and their bats have been getting hotter. They are led by veteran slugger Bryce Harper, who seems to turn it up a notch when the postseason rolls around. He has had some monster at-bats, and after last season's disappointment, he is sure to be even more motivated to come through in the clutch.
The Phillies have hit over 180 home runs this season, hitting .258 as a team. They will hand the ball over to veteran hurler Aaron Nola, who has a mark of 12-8 with an ERA of 3.62. He has dropped his last two starts and is looking to rebound in this one.
The Brewers will win the NL Central because they have been able to pull away from the pack. They lead the fading Chicago Cubs by 10 games and have shown they can turn it on when needed. They have a nice young core of players mixed in with some veteran players.
On offense, they are led by shortstop Willy Adames, who has slugged 32 home runs this season and driven in a career-high 109 runs. He is hitting .250 on the season and has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career from a production standpoint.
The Brewers will send out 28-year-old Freddy Peralta, who sports a record of 11-8 to go along with an ERA of 3.75 on the season. He has fanned 184 in over 163 work frames and is a very aggressive hurler. He will attack the heart of the plate. It would be interesting to see these two teams meet in the playoffs.
The Brewers are 5-0 in their last five games against the spread. They are also 41-37 in their road games against the number. The totals have gone over in two out of their last five games, and the totals have gone over in 27 out of their last 72 games at home. The Phillies are 1-4 in their last five games against the number and just 33-39 in their road games against the spread. The totals have gone over in two out of their last five games and 34 out of their last 78 games at home.
