After a disappointing 2-4 road trip out of the All-Star break, the Phillies returned home for a weekend series against a Cleveland Guardians team that leads the American League Central and has shattered expectations under first-year manager Steven Vogt. This three-game set included two Phillies losses and two Phillies trades. Here is what stood out from a busy weekend:

Phillies shake up outfield Friday afternoon

The Phillies made their long-awaited addition of a right-handed-hitting outfielder early Friday afternoon, trading relief pitcher Seranthony Domínguez and outfielder Cristian Pache to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for veteran Austin Hays.

Hays had an up-and-down year for the Orioles as various youngsters broke into their outfield mix, paving the way for a rare trade between two World Series contenders. The Phillies have struggled mightily against left-handed pitching, particularly with their outfielders, and Hays is a proven commodity in that respect. The immediate question became whether Hays would serve as a platoon partner for Brandon Marsh in left field or as an everyday player.

"I do not see him as a platoon," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said in the home dugout on Friday afternoon. "This guy was an All-Star last year."

And, the next day, Thomson told the media that Hays is going to play on an everyday basis, according to Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia, setting up Marsh and Johan Rojas to split time in center field:

As far as the outfield is concerned, the main question now left to be answered is whether or not the Phillies will add another bat to the group, or if a unit consisting of Hays, Brandon Marsh, Johan Rojas, Nick Castellanos and Weston Wilson is sufficient.

Phillies President of Baseball Operations spoke to the media on Friday afternoon to discuss the trade, and when he was asked if he felt the team was "set" in the outfield, Dombrowski said "I think so."

Castellanos is locked into right field on an everyday basis. Now, Thomson must figure out how to fill left and center fields each day, with Marsh, Hays and Rojas likely being the pieces he uses most often. Rojas will play center field whenever he is in the lineup, while Marsh has plenty of experience in left and center. Hays has primarily been a left fielder for the last few years, and Dombrowski said the team did not acquire him with a role in center field in mind, but Thomson asserted that he is capable in that spot if needed. Wilson offers some versatility in the infield in addition to his ability to man a corner outfield spot.

Hays made his Phillies debut on Saturday, playing left field and batting ninth against a right-handed starting pitcher. He received a warm ovation from the crowd before his first at-bat, and promptly hit a single up the middle. On Sunday, the Guardians started a left-hander, so Hays was moved up to the six hole.

Phillies drop series-opening game marred with sloppiness

Cristopher Sánchez was not his best self on Friday night, but the Phillies' fielding — including a pair of miscues from Sánchez himself — did the left-hander no favors. All three of his runs across six innings were earned, but all three could have been prevented with even slightly crisp defense.

A quick rundown of all of the blunders the Phillies made in their 3-1 loss on Friday evening:

• In the first inning, Sánchez caught the runner at first base leaning as he went into his windup. Sánchez stepped off and fired the ball to Bryce Harper, who seemed certain to throw the runner out at second base. Harper could have tossed the ball to a nearby Bryson Stott to apply an easy tag, but held onto the ball for a second too long. He tried to throw it to Trea Turner at second base, but Turner was not prepared to cover the bag in time. That runner scored on a two-out single later in the inning.

• In the second inning, what should have been a routine groundout to shortstop was bungled when Turner's throw to Harper was a bouncer. Harper would likely say that it is a scoop he needs to make at first base, but Turner was charged with an error.

• In the third inning, Sánchez was charged with an error when he dropped a ball thrown by Stott as he went to cover first base.

• In the fourth inning, the Guardians had runners on the corners with one out when catcher Bo Naylor dropped down a well-executed bunt. Sánchez attempted to throw a runner out at home in acrobatic fashion, but had no chance of making the play. He could have easily retired Naylor at first base, but instead did not record an out. With two outs in that inning, the Guardians scored on an RBI single.

The Phillies avoided additional miscues, but with their offense continuing to sputter, a three-run deficit was devastating. Home plate umpire Rob Drake also did Phillies hitters no favors, calling several strikes incorrectly in favor of Guardians starting pitcher Ben Lively (a former Phillies development project). Drake ejected Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long after ringing up Turner on a pitch that missed the strike zone.

There were a few positives from Friday's game for the Phillies, and they involved struggling players showings signs of life. 

Stott slugged his hardest-hit home run of the season and picked up two additional base hits, the final one coming against dominant Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase. The Phillies' second baseman finding his form after a slump that has lasted multiple months would be a boon for a lineup that is suddenly looking a lot less deep than it did earlier in the season.

The Phillies' bullpen has drawn plenty of ire of late, stemming from an inability to consistently throw strikes. Two of the main culprits are José Alvarado and Orion Kerkering, players who had been excellent for months prior. 

Alvarado had the seventh inning in this one, tossing a 1-2-3 inning that concluded with back-to-back swinging strikeouts. The eighth inning belonged to Kerkering, who faced the top of Cleveland's order and looked at ease. The rookie right-hander allowed a bunt single on the first pitch he threw before striking out the next batter he faced with an elevated fastball and then inducing an inning-ending double play against All-Star third baseman José Ramírez. Alvarado and Kerkering each needed just a dozen pitches.

When Alvarado and Kerkering are trusting their outstanding stuff and locating their pitches — not falling behind in counts — this Phillies bullpen is as dangerous as any in baseball. 

Tyler Phillips tosses complete game shutout Saturday night

What a story the rookie from South Jersey has become. In his third career major-league start, the 26-year-old Phillips tossed a four-hit, complete game shutout against the Guardians on Saturday to help get the Phillies back on track in an 8-0 victory.

Phillips' command and demeanor have been outstanding since his arrival in the Phillies' clubhouse. He only walked one of the 29 hitters he faced Saturday, and induced three double-play balls while only allowing four hits. It was a masterful display of pitching from someone who does not overpower hitters with velocity or outlier stuff. Phillips has mastered the art of locating pitches and fears no batter.

In 25.0 innings for the Phillies, Phillips has allowed just five earned runs — good for a 1.80 ERA. He has only walked two batters and sports a pristine 0.76 WHIP.

It is unclear when Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull will return from their injuries, but neither one is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Ranger Suárez is now on the Injured List, but it is not expected to be a lengthy absence. The Phillies have needed Phillips to be serviceable; instead he has been fantastic.

Another highlight from this one: the bottom of the fourth inning, where the Phillies hit three home runs and showed off the dynamic nature of their lineup for the first time in quite a while. Bryce Harper went the other way for a two-run shot, the slumping Marsh smoked a solo homer into the right field seats and Kyle Schwarber topped it off with a three-run blast into the Phillies' bullpen. Castellanos added one with a solo shot of his own in the sixth inning.

Phillies swing another deal to bolster bullpen

Just a day and change after acquiring Hays, Dombrowski swung another deal, solidifying the team's relief pitching by adding Los Angeles Angels closer Carlos Estévez, a 31-year-old right-hander who will be a free agent after this season but has been dominant during a career year in 2024.

The price, though, was significant: breakout pitching prospects George Klassen — considered by many to be a borderline top-100 prospect in baseball — and Samuel Aldegheri were sent to the Angels.

• MORE SPORTS
• MLB trade rumors: Are the Phillies done?
  
• Sixers film study: What does Eric Gordon still have left in the tank?
  
• Candid, self-aware Eagles DB James Bradberry trying to find role while trade looms
  

Estévez gives the Phillies optionality in the ninth inning, as he has more than enough skill and experience to handle ninth innings moving forward. Thomson has often resisted designating one reliever as his closer, though, so Estévez could very well be used in any later inning.

In 34 appearances for the Angels in 2024, Estévez has posted a 2.38 ERA and 0.73 WHIP. He throws hard but does not have overwhelming strikeout stuff. He has done a fantastic job limiting baserunners and has gone 19 consecutive appearances without allowing an earned run. Estévez is reportedly expected to join the team Monday for its series opener against the New York Yankees.

Phillies drop season finale despite two Schwarber home runs

With Suárez unavailable, the Phillies promoted left-handed starter Kolby Allard to start in his place in Sunday afternoon's series finale. Allard, 26, was signed during the offseason as a depth starter, and in his last handful of starts has found his footing after a disastrous beginning to the season that led to him being temporarily removed from the Triple-A roster. He is a soft-tosser who, when at his best, is precise with pitch location.

It seemed likely that Allard would have a short leash and not go deep into this one — not just because of his lack of reliability, but also because the bullpen was especially fresh after not being used the night prior thanks to Phillips. Allard tossed three shutout innings before allowing a mammoth game-tying three-run home run to Guardians rookie Jhonkensy Noel. 

Allard's final line in his Phillies debut: 4.0 innings pitched, six hits, three earned runs, no walks and one strikeout on 63 pitches (48 strikes).

The Phillies gave all fans who attended Sunday's game a "SCHWARBOMB" beach towel. Fittingly, the Phillies' slugger led off the bottom of the first inning with a homer. In the third inning, he crushed another baseball. Schwarber, who now has 29 career multi-homer games and 40 career leadoff home runs, is heating back up — a scary proposition for opposing pitchers, and a promising sign for the Phillies.

With the game tied, 3-3, in the top of the seventh inning, Alvarado was one out away from tossing another clean inning in his pursuit of a strong rebound. But Guardians leadoff hitter Steven Kwan swatted a heater into the right field seats, giving the Guardians a late lead. Kwan is the first left-handed hitter to homer against Alvarado in the regular season in just short of two years, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic:

The Guardians sport baseball's best bullpen at the moment, and their relievers combined to take down 17 outs without allowing a single run. That was all she wrote.

Up next: Luckily for the Phillies, they will now host a team dealing with struggles considerably more concerning than their own, as the New York Yankees come to town for a three-game set beginning on Monday night. All three games should be appointment viewing, with quality pitching matchups across the board: Zack Wheeler against Luis Gil on Monday, Aaron Nola against Gerrit Cole on Tuesday and Sánchez against Nestor Cortes on Wednesday. 

Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam

Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice