A trip to the World Series is on the line Tuesday night in Philadelphia. The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night to force Game 7 of the National League Championship Series. Game 7 is set for Tuesday night, and either the Phillies will repeat as NL champs, or the D-backs will go to the World Series for the second time in franchise history. Incredibly, this will be the first Game 7 in the 141-year history of the Phillies' franchise.
Game 7 will feature a Game 3 pitching matchup: Brandon Pfaadt and Ranger Suárez. Both were excellent in Game 3, though neither made it through six innings by design. Both managers have had a quick hook with their younger hurlers this postseason. Expect to see a lot of bullpen activity in Game 7. That's postseason baseball nowadays.
You can view the full postseason schedule by clicking here, and here's the 2023 playoff bracket. Now, let's get to the important stuff for the NLCS.
How to watch Game 7
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 23 | Time: 8:07 p.m
Location: Citizen Bank Park (Philadelphia)
TV channel: TBS | Live stream: TBS app
Starting pitchers: RHP Brandon Pfaadt (3-9, 5.72 ERA) vs. LHP Ranger Suárez (4-6, 4.18 ERA)
Odds: PHI -185 | ARI +155 | O/U: 8
Live updates: Follow along
Preview
Prior to Game 6, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said they planned to be more aggressive on the bases, then they went out and stole four bases after stealing one base in Games 1-5 combined. Suárez, a left-hander, has a very good pickoff move, so that'll be a fun cat-and-mouse game in Game 7. More than anything, the Phillies need someone other than Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and Brandon Marsh to do damage. They've carried the load offensively in the NLCS.
For what it's worth, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said ace Zack Wheeler will be available out of the bullpen in Game 7. "All hands on deck," the skipper said. Wheeler threw seven innings and 99 pitches in Game 5 on Saturday.
Prediction
Credit to the D-backs for forcing Game 7. I still have a hard time betting against the Phillies though. They've gotten punched in the mouth twice this postseason (NLDS Game 2 and NLCS Game 4) and bounced back both times. I expect them to do the same in Game 7. Pick: Phillies 6, D-backs 3
