The Phillies are obviously playing great baseball as they head to Arizona up 2-0. Ranger Suarez has pitched very well in the postseason allowing just 1 ER in just under 9 IP. Suarez will be opposed by Brandon Pfaadt who has been shaky at best. I'll take the team with all the momentum and veteran leadership who are clearly peaking at the right time.

I had the Phillies in five in this series and logic dictates that I should just play the Phillies every game instead of trying to guess which game the Diamondbacks will win. They have the advantage here in pitching with Ranger Suarez looking really strong lately. He also threw seven scoreless earlier this season in Arizona. Brandon Pfaadt isn't as bad as his numbers look, but the Phillies can get to him. They are too good and too hot right now to stop.

Not sure the D-backs are going to be able to make a series out of the NLCS, with Thursday an effective last-chance saloon. Torey Lovullo is using this as a semi-bullpen game with Brandon Pfaadt, who admittedly got the start in Game 3 of the Dodger series (D-backs win) but lifted in an apparent cautionary measure after 4 1/3 IP despite faring well (just 2 hits allowed); he didn't make it out of the third inning in the previous wild card game at Milwaukee. With Ranger Suarez a pleasant surprise for the Phils in the Braves series, pitching a solid five innings, and Philly a winner in his last five starts, maybe it's not the spot to start picking against the hot Phils.

This is a tough task for rookie Brandon Pfaadt, facing a Phillies lineup that's homered 15 times in the past four games. Pfaadt allowed 22 homers in just 96 innings this season. I have more faith in Phillies lefty Ranger Suarez, who allowed one run over 8.2 innings in two NLDS starts versus the Braves. His ground-ball rate was over 54 percent in those outings. In his one start at Chase Field this season, Suarez tossed seven scoreless innings, fanning seven while allowing four hits. Back Philadelphia to put a stranglehold on this series.

The Diamondbacks are in trouble. They will try to get back in this series with Brandon Pfaadt scheduled to start Game 3. During the regular season, Pfaadt had a 6.46 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP at home. Overall, he gave up 2.1 HR/9. The Diamondbacks were limited to a .711 OPS by left-handed pitchers and will be facing one in Ranger Suarez. Even with the series shifting to Arizona, I’m on the Phillies to win again.

I see no reason to wait as the Arizona runline at home is essentially the same price as Phillies ML. If the Snakes have any shot in the series, they obviously have to win Thursday in only their second home game of this postseason and first home NLCS game since 2007. Brandon Pfaadt has been Pfvery good at times in the second half. Including his 4.1 shutout innings in the NLDS vs. the Dodgers, Pfaadt has allowed no runs in four of his past 10 appearances ... and been shelled in a few others. I don't need a win even though I tend to lean that Arizona gets Game 3. The Phils haven't left the East Coast(ish) since mid-September and are 42-41 away.