The Philadelphia Phillies continued to trend in the right direction as they won a tough series against the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend. The Phillies were able to take two of three games behind some solid pitching from Ranger Suárez and Taijuan Walker in games one and three of the series. The offense was dormant in game two of the series, but came through in the first and final game.
Phillies hitters heating up
Some key offensive players have been hot at the plate over the course of the last two series. Nick Castellanos has swung a hot bat all season and continued to do so against the Dodgers. During the three-game series, Castellanos knocked in three runs and recorded three hits— the biggest being a two-run shot in the series finale.
Trea Turner has looked better at the plate lately as well. Over the last seven games, Turner is hitting .345 with an OPS of .953. Over that span he has two home runs, four RBI, and has scored seven runs. Look for the Phillies’ shortstop to heat up more as the summer progresses.
Over the course of the series, the Phillies’ offense hit better with runners in scoring position. In the two wins against the Dodgers, the offense 7-17 with runners in scoring position— a much better average than they put up earlier in the season. The club will rely on big hitters like Castellanos, Turner, Bryce Harper, and Kyle Schwarber to come up with timely hits.
Phillies pitching improving
The starting pitching had been a thorn in the side of the Phillies to begin the year. Injuries to Suárez and top pitching prospect Andrew Painter certainly did not help matters. Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Walker got off to shaky starts. Each one has shown improvements lately. Through three starts in June, Walker has a 1.69 ERA.
Wheeler has gone at least six innings in all but one start since the beginning of May. Nola has looked good at certain points but has struggled to keep the ball in the yard. If he can limit the number of home runs he allows, he will be a much more effective pitcher.
The Phillies bullpen remains a strong suit. Despite a rough start to the year for the bullpen, it has been one area of the team that has steadied and been reliable. Craig Kimbrel looks like the former dominant reliever he was in Atlanta and José Alvarado returned from a stint on the injured list.
Looking ahead
The Phillies head west for a seven-game road trip. They begin a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday then head to Oakland to take on the A’s. Arizona is a tough team right now, a series split at the very least should be the goal. Oakland is the worst team in baseball and sports a league worst -194 run differential. The Phillies must win that series. Then the club returns home for a six-game homestand against National League East division rivals Atlanta Braves and New York Mets.
