Cleveland Indians vs. Philadelphia Phillies Pick & Prediction JULY 28th 2024
Preview and Prediction
The Philadelphia Phillies are proving their determination to make a deep run in the playoffs, and they will attempt to showcase their strength in the deciding game of their three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday afternoon.
The Phillies and Guardians entered the series with the two top records in the MLB. Cleveland claimed a 3-1 victory on Friday, but Philadelphia responded with an 8-0 win on Saturday thanks to a dominant performance from rookie right-hander Tyler Phillips.
During Saturday's game, the Phillies completed a trade for Los Angeles Angels closer Carlos Estevez. Just a day earlier, they acquired former All-Star outfielder Austin Hays from the Baltimore Orioles.
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"I believe that if we had stayed put with the team we had earlier in the season, we would have had a chance to win the World Series," stated Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson. "But we have made ourselves even stronger now."
The Phillies are particularly excited about the addition of Estevez, a 31-year-old with 20 saves in 23 opportunities this season and a 2.38 ERA. He has not allowed a single run in his last 18 appearances, spanning 18 innings.
"Ultimately, we wanted the best player who could give us a chance to win this year," explained Dave Dombrowski, the president of baseball operations for Philadelphia. "There may have been other players we could have acquired for multiple years, but we didn't believe they were as talented as Estevez and could help us win in the postseason."
All-Star left-hander Ranger Suarez was expected to start the series finale for the Phillies, but he was placed on the 15-day injured list on Saturday afternoon due to lower back soreness.
Suarez had an impressive 9-0 record with a 1.36 ERA heading into Memorial Day weekend, but he has struggled in June with a 6.61 ERA and has yet to secure a win since June 8.
In his place, the Phillies have called up left-hander Kolby Allard from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start the final game of the series. Allard has made 16 appearances (10 starts) for Lehigh Valley this season and has a record of 2-6 with a 5.23 ERA in 63 2/3 innings.
Allard has faced Cleveland twice in his career, including one start, and has yet to record a win with a 4.32 ERA.
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The Guardians are expected to bring up their No. 10 prospect, 24-year-old left-hander Joey Cantillo, to make his major league debut in the series finale. Cantillo has a 1-1 record with a 2.79 ERA in eight games (seven starts) this season for Triple-A Columbus.
Initially, the Guardians had planned to start Xzavion Curry, but he will now join the bullpen. He replaces right-hander Spencer Howard, who was designated for assignment.
Curry's last start was on Tuesday after being called up from Triple-A Columbus. He allowed two runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings in a 5-4 victory against the Detroit Tigers.
Curry has struggled in the minors this season, posting a 6.58 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) while walking 21 batters and giving up 15 home runs in 53 1/3 innings.
"Every time Zay has taken the mound up here, he has competed. That's just who he is," said Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt. "His numbers in Triple-A are what they are, but every time he has pitched here, he has been solid. I love his attacking mentality and competitive spirit. Zay meets every challenge with a smile on his face and a positive attitude. He is a true competitor and a valuable part of our team."
Cleveland Indians vs. Philadelphia Phillies Recap JUL 28TH 2024
Jhonkensy Noel had three hits, including a three-run home run, to help the visiting Cleveland Guardians to a 4-3 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in the deciding game of their three-game series on Sunday afternoon.
Steven Kwan hit a tie-breaking solo homer in the seventh inning for the Guardians, who have won four of six.
Joey Cantillo made his major league debut for Cleveland, and the 24-year-old left-hander allowed three runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked three.
Cade Smith, Nick Sandlin, Tim Herrin (4-0), Hunter Gaddis and Scott Barlow combined for 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief before Emmanuel Clase pitched the ninth for his 33rd save of the season and 20th straight.
Kyle Schwarber homered twice and drove in all three runs for the Phillies, who have lost three of four.
Philadelphia starter Kolby Allard was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday and made his team debut. He allowed three runs and six hits in four innings, striking out one without a walk.
Gregory Soto and Orion Kerkering followed with scoreless innings of relief before Jose Alvarado (1-5) surrendered the home run to Kwan with two outs in the seventh to give the Guardians a 4-3 lead.
Schwarber hit the third pitch from Cantillo over the fence in center field for his ninth leadoff home run of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Garrett Stubbs started the third by grounding a pitch just under the glove of diving second baseman Andres Gimenez and into right field. Schwarber then powered a curveball into the right field seats for a two-run homer that extended the lead to 3-0.
Schwarber, a left-handed hitter, came into the game hitting .336 against left-handers and .185 against right-handers.
Cleveland's Jose Ramirez hit a sharp grounder to third to lead off the fourth. Alec Bohm made a diving stop, but his throw to first was late. Philadelphia shortstop Trea Turner then knocked down a hard grounder by David Fry with a backhand, but couldn't make a throw.
Noel stepped up and slammed a four-seam fastball over the fence in center for a three-run homer that tied it 3-3.