Dodgers-Phillies review: Experience versus youth on the mound

Undeniably a key factor in the Phillies’ turnaround after an atrocious start to the season, a recently recovered Zack Wheeler is winning the current round of a battle against Father Time by being one of the more dominant starters in the National League since his return to a big league mound in late April. Although it is not always the case, for Wheeler in particular, the level of dominance he has presented has been enough to make the Phillies unbeatable in his starts.

The Dodgers will be the seventh team to go up against Wheeler this season, and evidently the best he has faced. Los Angeles will try to accomplish what each of the previous six failed to do, which is to beat the Phillies, who are 6-0 in Wheeler starts.

Justin Wrobleski might not have been the first pick for such a lofty task, but the southpaw carries an edge in this particular matchup. The Phillies offense is redefining the meaning of “top-heavy,” with two-thirds of their lineup carrying an OPS of .656 or lower. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Brandon Marsh have carried this offense, all three of them lefties. Now, Harper and Schwarber are scary hitters regardless of who they’re facing, but you’d still prefer a lefty there.

This lack of anything even remotely resembling a bit of depth is why Philly enters play on Friday with the fifth-worst team wRC+ in the sport, relying primarily on their pitching to carry this team.