Phillies vs. Diamondbacks NLCS Game 2 Starting Pitcher Matchup - October 17

The Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks square off in Game 2 of the NLCS on Tuesday at 8:07 PM ET at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies have a 1-0 series lead.

Learn more about this Phillies vs. Diamondbacks matchup on Fox Sports.

The probable starters are Aaron Nola (12-9, 4.46 ERA) for the Phillies against Merrill Kelly (12-8, 3.29 ERA) for the Diamondbacks.

Phillies Probable Starter: Aaron Nola

• Nola (12-9) gets the starting nod for the Phillies in his 33rd start of the season. He has a 4.46 ERA in 193 2/3 innings pitched, with 202 strikeouts.
• His last appearance came on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves, when the right-hander tossed 5 2/3 innings, surrendering two earned runs while giving up six hits.
• In 32 games this season, the 30-year-old has put up a 4.46 ERA and 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings, while giving up a batting average of .240 to his opponents.
• Nola has 15 quality starts under his belt this year.
• Nola will look to prolong a five-game streak of going five or more innings (he's averaging six frames per appearance).
• He has held his opponents without an earned run in three of his 32 appearances this season.
• He will face a Diamondbacks offense that ranks 17th in MLB with 1359 total hits (on a .250 batting average). The squad also slugs a collective .408 (17th in MLB) with 166 total home runs (22nd in MLB).
• Nola has thrown 6 2/3 innings, giving up four earned runs on six hits while striking out nine against the Diamondbacks this season.
• This season, the 30-year-old ranks 35th in ERA (4.46), 16th in WHIP (1.151), and 17th in K/9 (9.4) among qualifying pitchers.

Nola's Game Props

• Strikeouts Prop: Over/Under 5.5 (Over Odds: -135)
• Hits Prop: Over/Under 3.5 (Over Odds: -179)

Nola's Recent Appearances

Diamondbacks Probable Starter: Merrill Kelly

• The Diamondbacks will hand the ball to Kelly (12-8) for his 31st start of the season.
• The right-hander's last start was on Sunday, Oct. 8, when he tossed 6 1/3 innings without allowing a run on three hits in a matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• The 35-year-old has pitched in 30 games this season with an ERA of 3.29 and 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings, with an opponent batting average of .222.
• He's looking to extend his two-game quality start streak.
• Kelly has pitched five or more innings in 30 straight games and will look to extend that streak.
• He has finished three appearances without allowing an earned run in 30 chances this season.
• The Phillies rank eighth in MLB with 796 runs scored this season. They have a .256 batting average this campaign with 220 home runs (eighth in the league).
• The Phillies have gone 3-for-21 with a double, a triple, a home run and three RBI in six innings this season against the right-hander.
• The 35-year-old's 3.29 ERA ranks 11th, 1.193 WHIP ranks 23rd, and 9.5 K/9 ranks 16th among qualified pitchers in the majors this year.

Kelly's Recent Appearances

Phillies vs. Diamondbacks Game Info

• Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2023
• Time: 8:07 PM ET
• TV: TBS
• Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Venue: Citizens Bank Park