April 07, 2024
Reggie Hildred/USA TODAY Sports
Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm fielding a grounder on Sunday against the Nationals.
Nothing like a series against the Nats to get things back on track – well, somewhat.
The Phillies took two of three on the road from Washington this weekend, though closing out with a 3-2 loss on Sunday, leaving them within a game of the .500 mark at 4-5 heading to St. Louis next.
It isn't all perfect – it never is with this club – but it's still early into the season and this three-game set brought some promising signs, though with some more to be concerned about.
For now, here are a quick six thoughts on the series to take things into a new week...
• In the series opener on Friday, a 4-0 shutout win, Aaron Nola got his second turn on the bump and put up 5.2 scoreless innings with only two hits surrendered. He struck out only four and was pulled after 95 pitches, but brought much sharper stuff and a much better performance than his first go against the Braves when he got tagged for 11 hits and six earned runs.
Aaron Nola, Nasty 79mph Knuckle Curve. 😨
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 5, 2024
4th K pic.twitter.com/0S32fk4UzN
But what we also know, and have for years now, is that there are three versions of Aaron Nola, and which one you're going to get can often be a dice roll. A big key for the 30-year old and longest-tenured Phillie this season is going to be in making sure that he brings out his best stuff as consistently as possible, because his best stuff either has batters whiffing on breaking pitches or reaching for contact on grounders that amount to nothing.
Probably pretty safe to say that few fans want to be holding their breath throughout the summer and, hopefully, well into October when the fourth inning rolls around on Nola's day.
Again, early into the season, and we only have a sample size of two here. Let's see how the rest of April shakes out for him.
• Kyle Schwarber pulled a two-run single into right early into Friday night, then notched another base hit on Sunday after going 0-for-5 in game 2 (with 3 strikeouts). He entered Sunday's game batting .257 at the top of the order. This time last year, he was batting .158.
Who said he couldn't hit for average?
Trademark Schwarsingle to extend the early lead 👍 pic.twitter.com/S4kHxwIguk
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 5, 2024
• J.T. Realmuto crushed a two-run bomb in Saturday's 5-2 win, and Alec Bohm made the highlight reel with an RBI triple and then a barehanded grab in the field.
Bohm gets the Phils on the board 💪 pic.twitter.com/nUn9ZriAeZ
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) April 6, 2024
Bohm??!??! pic.twitter.com/KCPO9a1bqN
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) April 6, 2024
Bohm's come a long way from "I f***ing hate this place" two years ago, but can be a polarizing player within the lineup among fans for what he has offered so far compared to the idea of what he still could in the way of more power (he hasn't homered yet this season) and sharper fielding.
• Edmundo Sosa started at second on Sunday and did everything he could to push the Phillies to win this one, first with an RBI single into left in the second and then a solo shot to tie it up 202 in the fifth.
They didn't come through this time, but he has really left them in good shape reaching into the bench ever since getting to Philly from the 2022 trade deadline.
SOSA SENDS ONE TO THE STANDS 🤘 pic.twitter.com/BC5A5GbhQ2
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) April 7, 2024
• Brandon Marsh drove in the first run on Friday with a bases-loaded sac fly off Patrick Corbin, a lefty. He really pushed that one into center, too. Then on Saturday in the ninth, he bounced one off the mound and through the middle to score Bryson Stott from second and make it a 5-2 ballgame.
On Sunday, Marsh sat and Whitt Merrifield took the start in left with the Nationals sending out MacKenzie Gore, another lefty.
It has to be kept in mind that Marsh did only recently return from late offseason knee surgery, but a key point in his development is figuring out how to hit off lefties, and it's been noticeable that the Phillies have been protecting him from that so far.
Again, this is another thing to monitor and see if it might gradually loosen up over the course of the season.
• Johan Rojas also sat on Sunday. He's a miserable 1-for-22 eight games in. Cristian Pache took over in center, and at this point, you do have to wonder if the scale between what Rojas brings in the field versus what he can do at the plate has tipped, and if the call might be coming to send him down to Triple-A.
The situation for the 23-year old entering 2024 was always positioned as a sink or swim one, and so far, he's struggled mightily to stay afloat with his bat. Some time in Lehigh Valley might be the best thing for him now after bypassing that part of the minor-league climb entirely last season.
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