Preview, #68: Arizona Diamondbacks @ Philadelphia Phillies

It has not been an easy few years for Phillies fans. Like the D-backs, the last time they made the playoffs was 2011. Like the D-backs, that was also the last time they enjoyed a winning season. But unlike the D-backs, there's no sense the worst is over and the corner has been turned. Indeed, if sustained, the current Philadelphia team will post the lowest winning percentage for a team from the city, since the 1961 team went 47-107. The 2017 version is on pace to lose the same number of games, and sit dead last in the major-league standings. Per bWAR, Pat Neshek has been their most valuable player so far.

That said, their record in Philadelphia is a not-too-terrible 13-15, and if the D-backs manage to win the series, I think I'd be happy with that (we should, however, be looking to sweep them when the Phillies come to Chase Field for the gift which is a four-game set later this month - their road record is 9-28). That's particular true with a Patrick Corbin start, though of all the teams for him to go up against, this isn't bad. Indeed, looking at team hitting by wRC+, depending on how we handle the off-day, Corbin could get a quarter of consecutive outings against three of the four worst-hitting teams: the Padres, now the Phillies, then the Rockies, before back to the Phillies at Chase.

Wait, what: the Rockies? Bad-hitting? So it appears. By ERA-, they're second only to the Diamondbacks. This is not apparently the Colorado team to which we are accustomed. But time enough to look into that after the weekend, as we gear up for a very important series against them in Coors. For now, let's warm up with a gentle thrashing of these woeful Phillies