Just what the doctor ordered for the Phillies.
After an inconsistent and sluggish start to the year, the Phillies took four games from the Rockies at home this week, all in convincing fashion. Now back at even .500, things are trending in the right direction for a team with high expectations.
Before the Phils head to Queens this weekend to face a familiar division rival, here are some awards from the just completed quartet of games:
The skinny: 4-0 series sweep 🧹
• The top of the Phillies order helped Kyle Gibson handle the Rockies to kick things off 8-2.
• The good times continued in Game 2 with Odubel Herrera returning from the injured list and slamming a homer and a double in a 10-3 victory.
• Bryce Harper's three hits helped lift the Phils in another convincing 7-3 'W' on Wednesday.
• Zack Wheeler finally looked like his good old self in a 7-1 victory in the series finale with a wild four-run seventh.
Series MVP: The starters 🎬
The Phillies' starters began the season in a collective funk, but a stellar outing by Aaron Nola to wrap up the prior series against the Brewers seemed to kick things into gear for the starting five, each of whom looked like solid contributors against Colorado.
| Pitcher | Line |
| Kyle Gibson | 5.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 4 K |
| Zach Eflin | 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 K |
| Ranger Suarez | 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 HR, 3 K |
| Zack Wheeler | 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 7 K |
All four starters pitched into the sixth inning and all four earned wins. They combined for a 2.72 ERA in just under 24 innings.
The previous time a starting hurler won a decision in a game for Philadelphia was Suarez in Miami back on April 19. While the offense is getting much of the attention — and rightly so, as they hit more than enough to overcome mediocre hurling — the starting pitching staff seems to be breaking out of their spring training slump which is great news with the Mets on the docket this weekend,
Biggest winner: Fanatics (finally) 💙
It took a little while but the Phillies are playing an afternoon home game and wearing their best uniforms:
Biggest loser: Baseballs ⚾️
- MORE ON THE PHILLIES
- Has 'hittin' season' come early for the Phillies this year?
- Dave Dombrowski on Phillies' early hitting woes: 'I think we're better than this'
- Phillies injury updates: Bryce Harper return to the field? Didi Gregorius on the mend?
The Phillies smacked 36 hits and scored 32 runs in the series which is quite impressive. The offense slowed down a little in Thursday's blustery winter-like day, but still mustered enough offense to score seven runs on four hits (along with five walks and a HBP).
In all, the Phillies offense continues to shine as one of the best in baseball in categories across the board during a season with less offense than usual across MLB. It's nice when things are so good that you're giving your pity award to the actual baseballs for all the punishment they've taken, instead of a usual suspect like the bullpen.
A close runner up for this award was the Rockies putrid defense, which gave the Phillies more than a few extra chances throughout the series.
The hot hand: Bryce Harper, full time DH 🌶
Before the Rockies came to town, Harper — who was a bit down on his luck with an arm injury taking him out of the field and forcing him to DH full time for the time being — had a mundane .226 batting average.
Four games, seven hits, and five runs scored later, his .276 average sounds a lot more like the MVP fans have come to know and love.
Harper has found a way to adapt to sitting on the bench when the team is on defense, and had a monster three-hit game on Wednesday. He also had a cycle in the series, collecting singles, a double, a triple and a homer during the Rockies' visit. For many baseball fans, especially for purists, the universal DH was a bit of a bummer when it came to the NL this spring. Phils fans are surely glad they have it now with Harper raking with the bat.
Cold case: Kyle Schwarber 🤧
Schwarber hasn't yet found his groove in red pinstripes (or power blue for that matter) and was held out of the lineup Thursday afternoon after going 1-for-8 over the first three games of the series — though his lone hit was a two-run double.
On the year, the power hitter is hitting just .164 with four homers, and has not really been able to work the count either, sporting an on base percentage of .273.
Looking ahead: Revenge tour continues with Mets 🗽
The Phillies will have a brief three-game road trip in the middle of 13 games at home when they face the Mets, who took two of three at Citizens Bank Park earlier in April.
Nola will be on the mound for the opener, followed by Gibson and Eflin. For New York, Tylor MeGill, Taijuan Walker and Max Scherzer will counter on the mound. The finale will be the Phils' second straight week on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. The Mets entered Thursday with a stellar 14-6 mark through 20 games, but the Phillies could gain some ground in the NL East with a series win.
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