After a come-from-behind win the split their last series against the Atlanta Braves, the Philadelphia Phillies will now face another divisional opponent, the Washington Nationals, for a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park. With a chance to gain some serious ground over the St. Louis Cardinals for the final Wild Card spot, the Phillies must strike hard and fast to maximize this series’ impact.
Philadelphia’s confidence is undoubtedly high after their thrilling finish to their series against the Braves, and the Phillies now look to carry that confidence into tonight.
Ahead of tonight’s series-opening game, there are plenty of juicy player prop opportunities, otherwise known as “propportunities.” Here are a few to keep in mind. All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Kyle Schwarber | Over 0.5 Total Home Runs
Kyle Schwarber has been a baseball-mashing monster for the Phillies this season. Second only to Aaron Judge, Schwarber has been one of the premier long-ball hitters all season long. With 33 on the year, any night seems to be a good bet for a Schwarbomb, but against Nationals pitcher Paolo Espino, there’s even more reason to believe.
When last they met, nearly one month ago to the day, Kyle Schwarber homered off Espino not once but twice in his 3.2 innings of work. While the odds of him duplicating are not overtly likely, one home run certainly seems within the realm of possibility.
He’s hitless in his last eight plate appearances, and he hits a homer roughly every three games. Today marks his third game since his last home run; he’s due.
Noah Syndergaard | Over 4.5 Total Pitching Strikeouts
The over may seem like an odd decision as the Nationals actually boast the second-fewest strikeouts as a team, but there’s been a major change in their lineup that will likely flip the script on that story. Juan Soto and Josh Bell were both major contributors to the Nationals’ ranking among strikeout leaders. Soto’s strikeout percentage was just 14.2%, while Bell’s was even more impressive at 14.0% on the season. With the two now suiting up for San Diego, the Nationals have now lost two of the top three contributors in strikeout percentage.
Noah Syndergaard will make his debut for the Phillies after being acquired at the deadline. The former Angels pitcher averages just 4.26 strikeouts, but he’s been more adept recently with his swing and miss material. Having earned five or more strikeouts in five of his last six games, Syndergaard will have a chance to start his Phillies career off on the right foot against Washington tonight.
Nick Castellanos | Over 1.5 Total Bases
Nobody in the Phillies’ lineup needed a home run last night more than Nick Castellanos. The 2021 All-Star has not had the game come easy since arriving in Philadelphia this past offseason. Castellanos has struggled to find consistency at the plate, but his troubles may be now turning around.
Last night was Castellanos’ first homer since June. Yes, over 30 days and 26 games went by without a home run from the 2021 Silver Slugger, but the confidence he has exuded not just after that home run but over his last 10 games has absolutely been encouraging.
In those last 10 games, Nick Castellanos is hitting for a .375 average with two doubles, four multi-hit games, and of course, last night’s home run. That adds up to six multi-base games in his last 10 appearances. No player should be flying higher coming into this series than Castellanos, and another multi-base outing seems to be in line tonight.
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