Marlins vs Phillies Game 2: Philadelphia Gets To Face Another Lefty!

We’re headed to Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series between the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies took Game 1 from the Marlins, 4-1, after a dominant performance from starting pitcher Zack Wheeler.

Philadelphia not only got great pitching from Wheeler and the bullpen, but the Phillies earned 11 hits and had some timely knocks to get by their NL East rivals.

Miami had a negative run differential of over 50 in the regular season. Clearly, the Marlins weren’t in the same echelon as the Phillies coming into this series.

Can the Phillies finish off the Marlins in Game 2 of the three-game series?

Look at the Marlins vs Phillies Game 2 MLB betting lines below. Can Philadelphia finish the job tonight?

Kim Ng Became First Female GM To Lead MLB Team To Playoffs

The Marlins don’t look incredible on paper. They also have a lot of pitching depth on the MLB injured list. However, Miami still found a way into the playoffs.

Credit Kim Ng for getting the job done.

Kim Ng is the Miami Marlins General Manager. At 54 years old, she made history when Derek Jeter hired her as the GM in 2020.

Ng has interviewed for five GM jobs before landing the Marlins job. She almost gave up because she felt she would never become a GM.

She came in at a hard time, too. She was hired in 2020 when the pandemic began. The Marlins made the postseason in 2020, but many fans and analysts don’t count that shortened season.

In every season since 2018, the Marlins had lost at least 93 games. This year, the Marlins went 84-77 and not only kept losses below 90, but they were seven games above .500.

The Marlins don’t compare to the Phillies right now. It’s hard to beat the Phillies on the road in that kind of atmosphere. But the future for the Marlins is only getting brighter with Ng at the helm.

The Philadelphia Atmosphere Is Like No Other

The Phillies didn’t lead in the NL East MLB standings. The Braves did. But you wouldn’t know it after watching last night’s MLB Wild Card matchup.

The Philadelphia fan base is hungry for another World Series appearance. The Phillies have high expectations this season.

In Game 1, Philadelphia delivered.

The fan base was incredibly loud. They’ve also been loyal throughout the season despite ups and downs.

They cheered when Rhys Hoskins threw out the first pitch and went wild after Craig Kimbrel got the save on a ground out by Bryan De La Cruz.

The Phillies have a team filled with a lot of young talent that has come up with the team. They’re also built with massive free agents, like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Zack Wheeler, who have all exceeded expectations since arriving with the club.

Many MLB players find it challenging to play in a major sports town. But it’s the best feeling in the world when things are going well.

The Phillies sold out, with the lowest seats starting at $200. Meanwhile, the Rays couldn’t get 20,000 people for their Game 1 matchup against the Rangers. Granted, that game was at 3 p.m., but fans would’ve packed the place if the Phillies played at 3 p.m. ET.

Playing in Philadelphia is insane when you’re good. The Phillies are one win away from moving on to the NLCS.

We’ll break down the Marlins vs Phillies Game 2 for tonight. Can the Phillies finish off the three-game series with a two-game series sweep?

Early Odds: Run Line Philadelphia -1.5 +145 ML Philadelphia -156, O/U 8 -115/-105

Another Lefty For Miami

The Miami Marlins will send out Braxton Garrett for Game 2 of the NL Wild Card series. He’ll be the second lefty in the series after Jesus Luzardo pitched last night.

Garrett has allowed a .137 ISO and wOBA of .282 against the last 81 batters he faced. He’s also struck out nearly 25% of batters and has limited walks to 8.6%, which is above average.

Garrett has only lasted about 88 pitches per start over the last month, but he’s held teams to 20.8% of fly balls and 22.6% of line drives. The lefty has been excellent.

It’ll be needed against the Phillies.

Philadelphia’s offense was resilient last night against Luzardo. The offense will have all the momentum coming into this game on their home field.

Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and Nick Castellanos have all hit an above-average ISO and wOBA in the last 30 days against lefties. As a lineup, they’ve hit an ISO of nearly .220 and a wOBA of almost .360.

The Phillies will hit a lot of hard contact against Garrett, with the right-handers likely hitting for more power in this game.

Miami Will Compete!

The Miami Marlins didn’t have much offense against Wheeler. It’ll also be hard against Aaron Nola. Nola has allowed a .125 ISO and wOBA of 293 to his last 90 batters.

The right-hander has struck out 25.6% of batters and has earned nearly 58% of ground balls while keeping fly balls down to 15.2%.

Nola’s been terrific over the last 30 days. However, this season, he struggled with lefties a little bit. Lefties hit a .205 ISO and wOBA of .321 against Nola throughout the year, hitting over 29% of fly balls.

The Marlins should have four lefties in the lineup. That’s not. A lot. But those four lefties have combined to hit a .228 ISO and wOBA of .368 against righties in the last 30 days.

Luis Arraez, Josh Bell, Jazz Chisholm, and Jesus Sanchez would be the four lefties in the lineup for the Marlins. Those four have some legitimate potential against Nola.

Still, Nola has been much better against lefties over the last month. But postseason pressure could get to him like it can get to anyone.

Miami will compete. On the road, It probably won’t be enough against the Phillies. Our MLB score predictions have a total surpassing 8.

After looking at the MLB betting lines, we’d back the Over 8 at -115 in the Marlins vs Phillies Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series between these two NL East squads.

For MLB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

Can’t get enough? Here’s more!

• Jays vs Twins Game 1: Minnesota the Slightest of Favorites in Opener
• Rangers vs Rays Game Preview: Runs May Be Hard to Come By In Wild-Card Series Opener
• NLWC: Arizona Diamondbacks vs Milwaukee Brewers
• Marlins vs Phillies Odds: Philadelphia Faces Resilient Marlins in NL Wild Card Game 1
• NL West: Dodgers vs Giants Series Preview