In Game 3 of their National League Championship Series matchup against the San Diego Padres, the Philadelphia Phillies will give the ball to Ranger Suarez. Which starters the team will use to pitch the rest of the series after that is still up in the air.
Rob Thomson, the manager of the Phillies, is unsure who will start the fourth game on the mound. Zack Wheeler won’t participate in the competition, at the very least.
When questioned on Thursday about the potential of Wheeler pitching in Game 4, Thomson responded, “No chance, no.”
The last time Wheeler pitched was on Tuesday, when the Phillies defeated the Padres 2-0 in Game 1. The seasoned right-hander pitched 7.0 innings without allowing a run while also giving up just one hit. He threw 83 pitches in all and struck out 8 batters on the day.
While Thomson has not yet made an official announcement regarding the starting lineup for Game 4, he is likely to choose one of these three hurlers.
Tomorrow will determine it, Thomson added. “You can solve the problem. I would anticipate that it will either be Syndergaard, Gibson, or Falter.
Only Kyle Gibson, who pitched one hit in 1.1 innings in Game 2 of this year’s NLCS, has made an appearance out of these three starting pitchers. While Bailey Falter has yet to pitch in a single inning of the present postseason, Noah Syndergaard has not been called upon to start since Game 4 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves.
As of right now, the Phillies are hoping to lead the Padres 2-1 in the series going into Game 3.
First published on ClutchPoints, the article Phillies manager Rob Thomson discusses early pitching preparations for Game 4 vs. Padres.
