The Philadelphia Phillies have dropped the lineup for their series opener against the Houston Astros.
The Philadelphia Phillies are set to open a three-game series with the Houston Astros at Citizens Bank Park.
After splitting a four-game set with the rival Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia was able to stand pat within the National League East division race. The Phillies have been playing catchup all year long, with the team just not able to overtake Atlanta.
But the two sides will be playing a huge three-game series this coming weekend, in what could decide the division race. However, for now, the Phillies are fully focused on the Astros coming to town.
At this point in the season, every game is magnified, making this series with Houston paramount to the playoff race. Ahead of the game, the Phillies have revealed the lineup that they will use.
Leading off is slugger Kyle Schwarber, who will be playing in the designated hitter spot. Following him is shortstop Trea Turner, who has seen his share of offensive problems this year.
Bryce Harper follows Turner in the three hole, playing in right field. Then comes Luis Arraez hitting fourth, playing second base today.
Alec Bohm will play first for the Phillies, hitting fifth in the lineup. Bryson Stott will be the third baseman today, hitting sixth for Philadelphia.
Brandon Marsh will hit seventh, taking over in left field. Rounding out the lineup will be catcher J.T. Realmuto, hitting eighth, and then Justin Crawford playing center and hitting last.
On the mound for the Phillies is right-hander Andrew Painter. Painter owns a 5.55 ERA in 21 appearances (19 starts) this season.
This game will Houston is huge for the Phillies, and they'll be looking to build some momentum heading into the series with Atlanta later this week. While they play the Astros, the Braves will be playing the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game series.
One plus from the series this past weekend is that Schwarber has caught fire at the plate. the slugger has hit a home run in three straight games, and he could be needed to produce in this contest.
Coming into the series with Houston, the Phillies are 81-63 on the season. They currently own a wild-card spot in the NL playoff race, but this team would love to have a shot at grabbing the division.
If they can put together a strong showing against the Astros, while getting some help from the Rays, this weekend's series may be bigger than expected. But for now, Philadelphia will take everything one game at a time.
