A pair of National League contenders and a young Cardinals club trying to keep its surprising season rolling headline Monday night’s ESPN doubleheader.
First up is a heavyweight matchup in Philadelphia, where the Dodgers open a three-game set against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Later, the Cardinals wrap up their West Coast trip with three games against the Angels.
The Dodgers arrive with the best record in baseball at 63-37, and they’ve already handled Philadelphia once this season, taking two of three in Los Angeles to close out May. That came after the Dodgers knocked the Phillies out of the NLDS last year on their way to a second straight title.
Philadelphia has taken a very different path since a rough 9-19 start and the firing of manager Rob Thomson on April 28. Since then, the Phillies have surged to MLB’s second-best record at 46-26, and they’ll lean on their rotation again Monday night.
Cristopher Sánchez gets the ball for the Phillies, making his first start since pitching in last week’s All-Star Game. The left-hander is 11-4 with a 2.62 ERA and sits firmly in the NL Cy Young conversation. At the plate, Philadelphia will try to keep getting big production from Kyle Schwarber, whose 33 home runs lead MLB.
The Dodgers counter with young right-hander Emmet Sheehan, who is 4-6 with a 4.81 ERA. He has been steadier lately, allowing no more than two earned runs in each of his last three starts.
And as always, Los Angeles brings a dangerous lineup, one that has scored the third-most runs in the majors. Shohei Ohtani has been especially hot in July, with four homers and 10 RBIs.
In the nightcap, the Cardinals continue a season that looked headed toward a rebuild but has turned into something much more interesting. St.
Louis is in a virtual three-way tie for the third NL Wild Card spot, with breakout star Jordan Walker helping drive the push. Walker, a first-time All-Star and Home Run Derby winner, has collected a hit in each of the three games since the break and is riding a 10-game hitting streak overall.
Monday’s game also opens an important stretch for St. Louis as the Trade Deadline approaches. Kyle Leahy, who is 7-4 with a 3.73 ERA, is set to start for the Cardinals.
The Angels, meanwhile, are looking at the rest of the season as a chance to develop their young core. José Soriano is one of those arms. The 27-year-old right-hander has cooled after a dominant start, but he still brings a 3.49 ERA in 20 starts along with a 24.7% strikeout rate.
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Reid Detmers Suddenly Feels Like The Angels Deadline Decision
Reid Detmers has become one of the more interesting names hanging over the Angels as the deadline approaches, not just because he can help a contender, but because he fits the kind of trade chip this front office can actually use. Los Angeles is looking for promising young hitters, especially bats with some power, and that makes Detmers a potentially valuable way to address a need that has been obvious for a while.
Interim general manager John Mozeliak may have the freedom to make that call after Perry Minasian was fired, which only adds to the sense that this could be one of the more consequential decisions of the month. The Braves, Brewers and Guardians have all been floated as possible partners, and each would have a different kind of young hitter to discuss, but for now Detmers remains in the middle of a market that has not yet produced a deal. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Face Franchise Defining Deadline Choice Arte Moreno Usually Avoids
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What makes the moment more delicate is the market itself, which has been shifting as other contenders have surged and narrowed the field of potential buyers. Interim GM John Mozeliak now has to navigate not just trade interest, but the larger question of whether Moreno will sign off on a deal that could define how the Angels approach the next few seasons. [Read more 🡒]
Nolan Schanuel Suddenly Feels Like An Angels Deadline Decision
Nolan Schanuel has quietly become one of the more stable pieces in the Angels lineup, the kind of first baseman who does a little of everything well enough to matter. His steady on-base ability, low strikeout rate and reliable work at first base give him a profile that tends to travel, which is why he is starting to look less like a fixed part of the roster and more like the sort of player rival clubs could circle when the market shifts.
The Angels are not actively shopping him, and there is no sense they are eager to move him. Still, if the right offer shows up, the front office would have to at least consider it, especially with clubs like Arizona, Cleveland and Detroit potentially able to build a prospect-heavy package around a player who fits a lot of needs. For now, Schanuel remains in Anaheim, but the deadline conversation around him is already starting to sound a lot more real than it did a few months ago. [Read more 🡒]