After franchise-best first half, Phils look to keep momentum, stay healthy
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PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies finished the first half of the season on Sunday with their worst loss of the year, but with the best record in baseball and a commanding lead over the second-place Braves in the NL East.
They carried that perspective into the All-Star break.
“If there’s a day to have the big picture, today’s the day,” Kyle Schwarber said following an 18-3 loss to the A’s at Citizens Bank Park. “Not leaving on the best foot probably lasts a little bit, but the overall picture is we put ourselves in a really good position. We feel like there’s a lot of good baseball ahead of us. I’m excited for everyone to have the break, see our guys out there at the All-Star Game, get back and get right back to where we want to go.”
The Phillies won a franchise-record 62 games before the All-Star break. They have a rotation with an MLB-best 3.22 ERA and 11.3 WAR, according to FanGraphs. The bullpen ranked third with a 3.32 ERA, until the A’s blew up a shorthanded bullpen (catcher Garrett Stubbs allowed five runs in the ninth) to drop it to 13th (3.79 ERA).
The offense ranks fourth in runs (477), third in batting average (.259), on-base percentage (.331) and OPS (.755); and sixth in home runs (118) and slugging percentage (.424).
The defense is eighth with 11 Outs Above Average.
It couldn’t have gone much better, but this is not an upstart team just happy to be here -- this is a team focused on winning the World Series after coming close the past two years. The Phils fell in six games to Houston in the 2022 World Series, and fell in seven games to Arizona in the 2023 NLCS. They want to finish the job.
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There are many reasons why they believe they can.
Most obviously, this team is better than those teams. It is more talented. It has better depth up and down the roster.
“We know how we can play,” Schwarber said. “We can beat anyone. Anyone can beat us, right? But to see the way that we’re being consistent out there and the way that the pitchers are going out there and being in the zone, being super consistent for us throughout this first. And the hitters, the way that we’ve been swinging the bat, the approach has been great. I feel like we can score runs and even if we’re behind we feel like we’re in striking distance.”
The goal in the second half is to maintain their current level of play while keeping everybody healthy and fresh. Phillies manager Rob Thomson has spoken about it numerous times in recent days.
Consider the rotation; the Phils started relief pitcher Orion Kerkering on Sunday because they skipped Zack Wheeler, who has been bothered with back spasms in his last three starts. Thomson said Wheeler will not pitch until early next week against the Twins in Minnesota, giving him almost two weeks of rest between starts.
They hope it helps.
“I’m confident,” Wheeler said. “Hopefully it works out.”
Ranger Suárez pulled out of the All-Star Game on Saturday because he has a back issue, too. Thomson said Suárez will not pitch until early next week against the Twins, giving him nine or 10 days between starts.
Keeping everybody in the rotation healthy and effective for October is critical, which is why Thomson said the Phillies “probably will” employ a six-man rotation in late August/early September.
“Concern? I don’t know,” Thomson said about the rotation’s health. “I’m always concerned. To me, pitching wins.”
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The next couple weeks will be interesting. The Trade Deadline is July 30. The Phillies could use a right-handed-hitting outfielder, though they could use a late-inning reliever. There aren’t many superstars expected to be available at the deadline, so the idea that the Phillies will go “all-in” -- emptying their farm system in the process -- is unlikely.
But upgrades are likely.
“Whatever they think that is, they’re going to do,” Schwarber said about the Phillies’ front office. “If it’s nothing then we’re going to go out there and figure out a way to get to the finish line. If they go out and get someone, that’s great, too.”