With three All-Stars missing from their lineup, a series win against Atlanta would have been significant for the Phillies this weekend. The Braves didn’t blow the Phils away, but contrary to what Meat Loaf would say, two out of three wins was bad for the Fightins.
On a Friday night full of offense, the Phillies won 8-6.
Saturday was a disappointment, the Phillies lost 5-1 to the Braves.
It was a similar story on Sunday when Atlanta beat the Phils 6-0.
The Phillies are now “only” eight games ahead of Atlanta in the National League East. This is still a race with the unpredictability that injuries and total randomness bring to baseball.
To get you through a disappointing weekend, here are a few quick thoughts on the Phillies from last season:
Trea Turner is a superstar
There has been some discussion online, particularly among national baseball experts, that Trea Turner was undeserving of playing shortstop in the National League’s Midsummer Classic due to his injury absence. Now, since returning from the injured list, he’s been playing like one of the best players in the entire game, including an incredible performance Friday night in which he hit two home runs and totaled four RBIs.
Turner’s 2024 outlook has been in line with expectations so far after he signed a huge free-agent contract last offseason.
ranger Suárez fell to the ground
Ranger Suárez will receive his first and well-deserved All-Star nomination in a few minutes, as the left-hander just put in his two worst performances this season.
Suárez allowed a whopping 10 hits and six earned runs against Miami last week. Perhaps a slip-up. But in Saturday night’s nationally televised loss to the Braves, Suárez once again left a lot to be desired. Suárez conceded five earned runs in just five innings.
Four starts ago, Suárez had a minuscule ERA of 1.75. Ultimately, that was unsustainable, as this weekend it rose to 2.58. He is now “only” fifth in all of baseball in terms of ERA.
In 10 days, Suárez could start in the All-Star Game. That’s consistent with his season so far, but he’s lost the Pedro Martínez-style run he had for three months.
Michael Mercado looked like a Home Run Derby pitcher
In the second inning of Sunday’s L, spot starter Michael Mercado allowed three home runs against Atlanta in that inning alone, putting the Phils in an early 5-0 hole from which they could not get out. According to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s broadcast, it was the first time since 2022 that the Phillies allowed three home runs in a single inning.
Mercardo may be a little out of his depth as the No. 5 starter behind the Phils’ fantastic top-four pitchers in the race for the playoffs. His ERA is now 7.04 in 7.2 innings in his young MLB career.
That roster spot won’t matter in October when teams will play with four- and three-man rotations, but first you have to get to the postseason. A starter at the bottom of the rotation is at the end of the Phillies’ trade deadline worries, as a right-handed outfield bat is desperately needed and help in the bullpen is always welcome.
If Dave Dombrowski and Co. cash in on a few prospects for Luis Robert Jr., in a few months hardly anyone will care how shaky the job of the fifth starter was.
Local hero Tyler Phillips makes MLB debut
Tyler Phillips, 26, a New Jersey native and graduate of Bishop Eustace University, made his major league debut on Sunday as a relief pitcher for the Fightins. Phillips, who grew up as a Phillies fan, He struck out the team in the fifth inning and struck out the first batter of the sixth inning. That’s an insane start to his MLB history. Of course, he gave up a home run two batters later, but hey, at least that fifth inning was movie-worthy. He finished the game with seven strikeouts in four innings.
The Phillies maintain their place on national television
Much to the chagrin of Phillies fans who aren’t exactly technologically advanced, the Phillies’ Friday night W aired on Apple TV+. It’s a tough blow for those who don’t want to pay even more than they already do to watch the Fightins, but it shows how the team has become a dominant force in baseball culture.
Then there was a FOX game on Saturday night. Sunday’s game was fortunately broadcast on NBC Sports Philadelphia, but the Phils’ upcoming three-game series against the Dodgers will also be seen across the country. Tuesday’s series opener in South Philadelphia will be broadcast on TBS (and also on NBC Sports Philadelphia). Wednesday night’s game will also be broadcast on ESPN.
An agonizing turn of events for younger Phillies fans who don’t want calls from their confused parents demanding to know where the game is being broadcast? No doubt. A boost for one of the major league’s top teams in a major market? Certainly.
However, it is in the nature of Philadelphians to complain.
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