NL Wild Card Game 2s (D-Backs at Brewers, Marlins at Phillies)

The Arizona Diamondbacks will face off against the Milwaukee Brewers today in the NL Wild Card Game 2 at 6:08 p.m. CT on ESPN 2. The Snakes grabbed yesterday’s game in dramatic fashion, with a comeback win and incredible bullpen performance. Rookies like Corbin Carroll and Gabriel Moreno led the team offensively, and the pitching was able to close it out after using seven pitchers total. Meanwhile the Brewers, already short a starter, put out their best arm in Corbin Burnes — who let up four earned runs in just four innings. Today, the NL Central Champions have a big test at home to see if they can keep this series alive.

The Snakes will throw out their best pitcher in Zac Gallen, as he has a 17-9 record this year with a 3.47 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. This is his first-ever postseason appearance, and his last three starts have been a four-run outing, no-run outing, and two-run outing, going 2-1 in those games. He is still the best guy to be out there for the Snakes in a possible clincher.

The Brew Crew is trying to save their season at home with a win, and Freddy Peralta will be the starter in trying to do so. He has appeared in three postseason games before, with a total of eight innings pitched and 12 strikeouts. In the regular season, he went 12-10 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. Something to watch for is that although he has been solid all year, his last regular season outing against the Miami Marlins was very rough, as he picked up a loss in going just three innings with nine hits and four runs. This is the time for the Brewers offense to come alive and get the momentum on their side to force another game on their home field.

The Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies will play at Citizens Bank Park for the second game of this series, as the Phillies took Game 1 and look to have all the momentum on their side. The atmosphere in Philly is electric, and after their 4-1 win last night, a lot of people are confident in their ability to take this series and make a legitimate run. The Marlins were sneaky-good to end the season to get to this point, so will they be able to make it interesting? Or will they be the second Florida team to be eliminated today?

The Fish will put lefty Braxton Garrett on the mound, the team’s 2016 First Round pick. Garrett has already faced the Phillies twice this year. He went five innings with three earned runs in both outings, and Miami won both games. Overall this year, Garrett is 9-7 with a 3.66 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. After scoring only one run last night, the real question is will this power-filled lineup produce some runs tonight? Jake Burger, Jorge Soler and Josh Bell look to hit for power, while Luis Arráez and Jazz Chisholm Jr. look to use their speed and contact hitting to their advantage.

The Phillies look like they have things under control, but anything can happen in the postseason. Aaron Nola will start the game, a hurler who was a vital part of their 2022 World Series run, appearing in five postseason games. During the regular season, Nola was 12-9 with a 4.46 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. The crowd is on their side in the City of Brotherly Love, and the momentum is building. Players like Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, and Nick Castellanos look to lead the team offensively to move onto the NLDS, where they would face the Atlanta Braves if they can close it out tonight.

Tune into ESPN at 7:08 p.m. CT for this one.