Looking ahead to Pitching Advantages Phillies will have in Arizona originally appeared on NBC Sports PhiladelphiaThe Diamondbacks on Tuesday afternoon officially announced their starter for Game 3 of the NLCS. It will be 25-year-old right-hander Brandon Pfaadt, who struggled through most of his rookie season with a 5.72 ERA in 96 innings.Pfaadt’s opponents hit .282/.329/.534, a slash line similar to those of Austin Riley and Corbin Carroll. He allowed six or more runs in five of his 18 starts.Pfaadt started Game 1 of the wild-card round in Milwaukee and allowed three runs on seven hits over 2⅔ innings. He was better in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Dodgers, pitching 4⅓ scoreless innings at home.”I like so much about his last outing,” manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday prior to Game 2 of the NLCS. “Commanding the baseball. He is a little bit like Merrill (Kelly). He can walk the baseball around the zone with different shape, speeds, and spin rate.”I feel like being able to do that against a very rugged Philly lineup where you can’t be predictable in one spot with one pitch because they will hurt you, I think Brandon being able to change speeds and work the ball around will be very good for us.”Arizona does not have a clear answer in the third or fourth spots in its rotation. Lovullo may end up going with an opener in a bullpen game in Game 4. Entering the series, the Phillies’ biggest advantage appeared to be how much better they were set up for Games 3 and 4.The Phillies will almost certainly use Ranger Suarez in Game 3 in Arizona Thursday, though they hadn’t officially announced their starter as of Tuesday afternoon.For Game 4, the Phils will decide between starting Taijuan Walker, Cristopher Sanchez or an opener with Walker and/or Sanchez behind him. Walker and Sanchez have been on the postseason roster for all three rounds but neither has pitched. They last appeared on September 30 at Citi Field. Walker pitched seven innings that afternoon and Sanchez threw one in relief. Sanchez’ last start was on September 24.Sanchez was the more effective pitcher in the second half. Walker is the veteran in the first season of a four-year, $72 million contract. Both set career-highs in innings in 2023, with Walker narrowly surpassing his prior total and Sanchez blowing past his by 50.”It’s just a matter of who we think is going to pitch most effectively over four or five innings,” manager Rob Thomson said Tuesday.Walker had well-documented issues in the first inning this season with a 7.04 ERA. He allowed nine more runs in the first inning than in any other. Thomson answered, “not really,” when asked if that will factor into the decision.If the Phillies do use an opener in Game 4, Matt Strahm sticks out as a candidate to counter Carroll, the leadoff lefty ahead of right-handed-hitting Ketel Marte, Tommy Pham and Christian Walker. The Phillies like Strahm against opposite-handed hitters because of his repertoire and deception. Righties hit just .214 off him this season.”It’s probably the most ideal season for me,” he said Tuesday. “Don’t get labeled as one thing and stuck in one role. I enjoy showing up to the park not knowing what’s coming. I think I’d drive myself crazy in a desk job doing the same thing every day, so I think that’s what is cool about my uniqueness is I can be thrown in any situation.”If the Best-of-7 series reaches a fifth game, Zack Wheeler will start opposite Zac Gallen in a rematch of Game 1. Aaron Nola would face Kelly in Game 6 in a rematch of Game 2. Suarez would be in line to start a Game 7 for the Phillies.
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