July 02, 2026
After pummeling the baseball for three straight games this week in sweaty mid-summer Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies' bats fell silent in Thursday's finale. Settling for an even series split with the Pirates following a 6-1 loss, the Phils are still within striking distance of the slumping NL East-leading Braves.
With a long road trip ahead, let's pause to hand out some awards from the series in South Philly. What should Phillies fans be excited about? And worried about? Here are 10 items worth thinking about:
There were stretches of games — not very long ago — where fans were wondering whether it would take the Phillies an entire month to score 26 runs. They did it in four games against the Pirates this week, with 25 coming in the first three games. It feels like everyone is hitting up and down the lineup right now, and they sort of are. In the month of June, the Phils had the seventh-highest slugging percentage in the sport. Also in June, six Phillies hitters hit .285 or better (Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Derek Hill and Bryson Stott). Nine hitters had at least two homers in June.
Of course, the offense was nearly silenced on getaway day, with just one run on four hits. They were actually out-hit in the setback 14-4. Sometimes they're the same old Phillies.
After one of his worst starts ever back on June 25, Sánchez tossed seven shutout frames during his turn Tuesday, holding the Pirates to just three hits. His ERA stands at exactly 2.00 now, and with Shohei Ohtani seemingly unable to start the All-Star Game without doing so on short rest, Sánchez might be in line for the honor in a few weeks. Bad days happen. He's still an ace.
It's been a rough season for Phillies hurler Nola, who a few years ago was regularly in the Cy Young conversation but is now in the designate for assignment conversation. He started Monday to open the four-game series and saw his ERA inflate to 6.04 after he allowed seven runs on eight hits. Nola's spot in the rotation is looking more and more like an automatic scheduled loss each week, and if he doesn't turn it around soon, the Phils could have some tough decisions to make.
That Nola start on Monday, as brutal as it was, was actually nearly turned into a win as the Phillies rallied to close a three-run deficit to just one, thanks to a Brandon Marsh homer and J.T. Realmuto RBI single in the bottom of the eighth that night. But even with that slim one-run deficit, Mattingly decided to call on Chase Shugart in the tight spot. He proceeded to give up a walk, hit and three-run homer to all but take away the Phils' comeback chances. And look, sometimes a manager's hand is forced by players needing rest or having pitched too much. But Mattingly is a guy who has called on closer Jhoan Duran on three out of four days before. Why not try and keep this one close? It was ironically just the second loss this season by a single run.
Perhaps the more confusing managerial decision Mattingly made was on Wednesday, after Zack Wheeler fought hard through a two-run outing (striking out 10). Wheeler was at 104 pitches and after giving up three singles in a row with two out, Mattingly lifted him. His replacement Kyle Backhus hit a batter and gave up an RBI single, putting four runs in Wheeler's column. After the game, the hurler, who is among the most trusted starting pitchers in the game, was asked if he thinks he should have completed the fifth inning.
"Obviously,” Wheeler told reporters. “I feel like I’ve earned that.”
The Phillies still won, and the next day Mattingly knew exactly what to say.
“In general, it really doesn’t bother me at all that he’s upset,” Mattingly said Thursday morning. “I think the great ones never want to come out of the game. And he’s no different.”
His season long stats are pretty bad — he had a brutal first few months — but Turner was by far the offensive MVP of the Pirates series. He went 7-for-18 with three homers (one apiece in the first three games) and seven RBI. His batting average, bogged down from nearly three months of struggles, still leapt to .239 (from .232). A Turner who is getting on base consistently and flashing some power will be a huge boost for the Phillies' lineup as they continue chasing the Braves.
Because Wheeler didn't make it five innings, he didn't earn the win Wednesday. Kerkering got that honor and it was well deserved as the reliever entered in the seventh inning to help Seth Johnson out of a jam. After Johnson walked two and then surrendered a double, Kerkering not only righted the ship in the seventh, he returned in the eighth and pitched a clean inning, a rare 1.2 inning appearance. It's a multi-inning performance the Phils might be returning to Kerkering for later this summer, especially if the majority of the bullpen continues to struggle.
Performing the role of Phillies fifth starter this week is career journeyman Alan Rangel, who made his first career start Thursday after appearing in multi-inning relief a few times this season. In reality, he's keeping Andrew Painter's spot warm — or waiting to be replaced at the trade deadline. But he's making a compelling, if not flawed, case to stay in the fifth spot.
He tossed four scoreless innings, but they were definitely labored frames. In the third inning, after giving up a deep double off the wall and putting two runners in scoring position, Rangel issued an intentional walk and elicited a weak grounder to third and an easy double play to end the scoring threat.
He then put himself into a jam in the fourth by walking two with two out, before wiggling out of it and being replaced by Tim Mayza after throwing 90 pitches in the scalding sun. If nothing else, he's earned at least one more start.
The one-time MVP, and recently doubted superstar hit safely in all four games against Pittsburgh and had at least one RBI in each, six of them total. His last RBI in the series was a go-ahead double, simply taking an outside pitch the other direction to find some grass:
Bryce Harper comes through with the 2 out RBI! 🔔
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 2, 2026
(via @Phillies)pic.twitter.com/IRenL6sOZS
He has tied a personal best with at least one RBI in eight straight games. Remarkably, he's caught Schwarber for the team lead and continues to flex as a bat that can lift the Phillies to victories by himself. Luckily he hasn't had to, but his status and top 5 in the NL OPS leave little in doubt — Harper remains, in fact, an elite baseball player.
Citizens Bank Park handed a free Dasani water bottle to every fan entering the stadium Thursday — you know it's a hot one when they do that. With a first pitch temperature of 98 degrees on a Thursday afternoon, and the temp eventually exceeding 100, you know the fans at the ballpark are tried and true. Especially those sitting in direct sunlight.
It's a scorcher in South Philly ☀️
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 2, 2026
Thank you to our friends at @CocaCola for supplying complimentary water bottles for fans attending today's game! pic.twitter.com/A5z9wVkRcn
Perhaps these fans know that with All-Star preparations coming, the Phillies are in the midst of a stretch of playing just seven home games in 28 days leading to the Fall Classic. They won't be home again until Thursday July 16. See them while they're hot. And while it's hot.
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