Going To See The Phils This Weekend? 7 Key Storylines To Follow

By Justin Heinze:

The Phillies will host the defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants this weekend. Here are seven storylines to follow going into the series:

1. Maikel Franco Rises

The Phillies hard hitting rookie third baseman was the hero of the series against the Reds, providing game-tying home runs in back to back games against Cincinnati this week. Coming into the series he had been in the midst of a 2-24 slump. His resurgence in power could signify big things coming for the #56 ranked prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB.com.

2. Phils getting hot again?

The Phillies have been an extremely streaky team thus far this season. Earlier in May, they won seven in a row. As May turned to June, they lost seven in a row. The good news is that despite their woeful road record, the Phillies are 14-14 at home. They’re also coming off a big series win against the Reds, so it could be the start of another winning streak.

The bad news is the Giants are tied for the best road record in the National League at 14-11. But they are also riding a 5 game losing streak. The Phils may be meeting them at the right time.

3. Can the Phillies touch Madison Bumgarner?

The World Series MVP will pitch Saturday afternoon. The southpaw is 6-2 with a 3.12 ERA this year, and came out on the better end of two duels with reigning NL MVP Clayton Kershaw.

The Phillies have not been hitting well this year, but they’ve done unusually well against left-handers. They sport a .271 batting average against lefties, the seventh best in all of baseball.

4. Herrera Benched For Second Straight Night

Phillies Rule 5 Draft pick Odubel Herrera impressed in spring training and the early going, but, like Galvis, has not been at the top of his game as of late. Ben Revere will move over from left to center on Friday, with Cody Asche in left and Jeff Franceour in right.

It will be interesting to see what the Phillies do on Saturday and Sunday to get Herrera back in the lineup. To do so, they’d likely have to move Revere over to right, to which many think he is not ideally suited. Revere’s defense in right field could become an important story to follow, especially amidst rumors that the Phillies are seeking to trade him to the Angels.

5. Freddy Galvis Slump Gives Cesar Hernandez a Shot

Galvis is 0 for his last 26, hitless since May 26, and has seen his batting average plummet nearly 100 points since the middle of last month. In addition to his stellar defense, the Phillies lack of depth has kept Galvis in the lineup until tonight. With highly touted first round draft choice J.P. Crawford likely at least a year away from the majors, the Phils don’t really have a reliable, full-time replacement. Cesar Hernandez and Andres Blanco both have experience at shortstop with the Phillies but neither have proved they are offensively strong enough to be everyday options. Although both have proved to be more than serviceable on defense, they are clear downgrades from Galvis. Hernandez will get the start on Friday.

Herrera has played shortstop in the minor leagues, but the Phillies have never discussed using him there.

6. Hunter Pence Injured

Ex-Phillie Hunter Pence has tendinitis in his left wrist, according to multiple media sources, and may not play at all this weekend. The Giants offense is significantly weaker without him.

7. History

Few Phillies fans can forget the 2010 National League Division Series, when the Giants upset the Phillies en route to the World Series. The Phillies are a very different team today, but many veterans that played in that series - Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, and Carlos Ruiz - are still on the team, and surely don’t forget that year, either.

Here are the starting lineups for Friday night:

Phillies

1. Revere, CF
2. Francoeur, RF
3. Utley, 2B
4. Howard, 1B
5. Franco, 3B
6. Asche, LF
7. Hernandez, SS
8. Rupp, C
9. Williams, P

Giants

1. Blanco, LF
2. Panik, 2B
3. Pagan, CF
4. Posey, C
5. Belt, 1B
6. Crawford, SS
7. Duffy, 3B
8. Maxwell, RF
9. Lincecum, P

For ticket information, see the Phillies website.