The first walkoff win of the MLB Playoffs went in favor of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who stymied the power-hitting Philadelphia Phillies, 2-1 in Game 4. Tonight, the same two teams meet in Game 4.
Baseball bettors seeking the best leverage should consider BetMGM, which is giving out up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets to new users of their sports betting app. The baseball experts at BetMGM have the Diamondbacks favored at -160 for Game 4.
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Series Schedule, TV Coverage of NLCS
- Game 1: Phillies 5, Diamondbacks 3
- Game 2: Phillies 10, Diamondbacks 0
- Game 3: Diamondbacks 2, Phillies 1
- Game 4: Phillies at Diamondbacks, Oct. 20, 8:07 PM ET on TBS
- Game 5: Phillies at Diamondbacks, Oct. 21, 8:07 PM ET on TBS
- Game 6:* Diamondbacks at Phillies, Oct. 23, 5:07 PM ET, on TBS
- Game 7:* Diamondbacks at Phillies, Oct. 24, 8:07 PM ET, on TBS
*If necessary
Series Odds
Odds on the Phillies to win the NLCS fell from -1000 to -310, according to DraftKings. You can now find odds on Arizona to win at +250.
DraftKings NLCS Winner Odds: Diamondbacks +250 | Phillies -310
Pitching Matchup for Game 4
Cristopher Sánchez (3.44 ERA, 96 K in 99.1 IP) vs. Joe Mantiply (9.00 ERA, 2 K in 3 IP*)
Postseason stats
Faced with the option of using Taijuan Walker in Game 4, Phillies’ skipper Rob Thompson chose to hand the baseball to Cristopher Sánchez. The lefthander will toe the rubber first, but after that, it’s anyone’s guess where Thompson may turn for a pitcher.
Sánchez was likely chosen because he finished the regular season stronger than Walker. In four starts during September, Sánchez had a 3.47 ERA. He won’t be expected to go very deep, and Thompson would likely be happy if his southpaw gets him 9-12 outs and has the score close.
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo is going with a “bullpen game” as he taps Mantiply to open Game 4. The longtime reliever made three “opener” starts this season, going into the second inning only once. Mantiply’s longest outing in 2023 was a three-inning relief stint.
He won’t likely be asked to get more than four or five outs. Ideally, Lovullo will ask Mantiply to face lefthanded bats Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, wherever they are in the Phils’ lineup.
Neither of these starters will be a good bet for strikeouts (though Sánchez had two 10-K games), so stay away from pitcher props in Game 4.
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Phillies vs Diamondbacks Game 4 Preview, Prediction, Best Bet
Pitching will be important in Game 4, as it always is in the postseason. But the Phillies’ concern has to be with the offense. In Game 3, the crickets returned and the Philadelphia lineup was held to three hits and one lonely run. They struck out 13 times. Only five balls were hit out of the infield. Ouch.
The D’backs just sort of nag at you like a fly, pestering you offensively. They don’t have much bite, but they can start a rally from any part of the lineup. Christian Walker walked twice in Game 3, but the Snakes need their cleanup hitter to rake, preferably over the fence.
Arizona’s bullpen is less stressed than the Phils’ relief corps. On Friday, Lovullo will be able to reach for 6-7 arms after Mantiply exits. Thompson doesn’t have a bullpen that’s as rested, and he has the problem of Harper being out of position at first base. It seems only a matter of time before that glove hampers the Phillies, doesn’t it?
Game 4 Pick: We were spot on for Game 3, predicting a close, come-from-behind win for Arizona. There’s a lot of moxie in these Diamondbacks, and we like them to snatch another game at home to even the NLCS. Go with Arizona To Win and the Under 9.5 Runs (+255 from DraftKings)
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