June 04, 2023
Ending the weekend on a positive note? That's a plus for everyone. Down in D.C. to take on the last-place Nationals, the Phillies took two of three from Washington, "improving" their record to 27-32.
Here are the results from the series:
• Friday: Nationals 8, Phillies 7
• Saturday: Phillies 4, Nationals 2
• Sunday: Phillies 11, Nationals 3
As we always do, here are five awards from the series that was for the Fightins...
After an uneven start to 2023, Zack Wheeler looked to be on the upswing as of late. In his most recent start against Atlanta, Wheeler was the dominant force he was earlier in his Phillies tenure, striking out 12 batters in eight innings of no-run ball, picking up a W in the process. Perhaps it was foolish optimism, but I assumed that Wheeler would round into form.
Against Washington, however, he got shelled.
In Friday's loss, Wheeler didn't even make it four full innings, surrendering seven runs, bringing his ERA on the year up to 4.33. That's his highest mark since 2017. It's a worrisome trend for Wheeler in his age-33 campaign after battling injuries last season.
In a bullpen start on Saturday, the Phillies used seven different pitchers, but allowed just two runs in the 4-2 win. Huge. Matt Strahm, working as The Opener, didn't allow a base-runner in the first two innings. Six of those seven hurlers didn't allow a run outside of Dylan Covey, who surrendered two runs and four hits in two innings of work.
After the offense retook the lead at 3-2 in the sixth inning, Gregory Soto, Seranthony Domínguez and Craig Kimbrel shut things down the rest of the way.
Again... huge.
A familiar theme for this roster... J.T. Realmuto is having his worst season in red pinstripes. Coming into this series in D.C., Realmuto, the artist formerly known as the best catcher in baseball, was hitting .256 with an OPS of .726 and just three home runs. Those are easily the worst marks of his Phillies career and that's the lowest OPS he's posted since his age-24 season in 2015.
Realmuto found some pop against the Nationals though, homering twice in the series. The first was a solo homer on Saturday, breaking a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning on the way to a 4-2 win:
Good stuff, J.T.#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/kN0wucyIOh
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 3, 2023
He also broke things open on Sunday with another solo shot in the second inning to put the Phillies up 1-0 on the road to victory:
Get hot, stay hot, get you some #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/9bqwFgH0ES
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 4, 2023
More bombs like that are needed if the Phillies are going to make noise in the playoff race.
June Schwarber. SchwarberFest. Whatever you want to call it, Kyle Schwarber is feeling it again after a bumpy start to the 2023 campaign. After picking up three hits across the first two games of the series, Schwarber launched a three-run homer in the sixth inning on Sunday to pad the Phils' lead over the Nats to 5-1:
JUNE KYLE HAS ARRIVED #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/Nlwfz1wuOu
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 4, 2023
Oh, and he ripped another three-run shot in the ninth inning as the Phils pounded the Nationals, this time to the opposite field:
HOLY SCHWARBOMB #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/FbzSnVm0j9
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 4, 2023
In his fourth game as a Phillie, 27-year-old Drew Ellis got the start at third base. This is just the 39th major league game Ellis has played, with sparse appearances previously for Arizona and Seattle. In Sunday's rubber match with things tied up at one in the top of the first inning, Ellis hit a solo shot over the left field wall, marking just the second homer of his career and first for the Fightins:
First as a Phil #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/Ow8iCNiWSJ
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 4, 2023
That wasn't the end of it! With the Phillies piling things on late, Ellis went yard again:
🗣️ HAVE A DAY DREW. #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/X3eEKZtZP2
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 4, 2023
Trea Turner is a disaster and Drew Ellis is raking, just as everyone predicted.
For a defensively challenged roster like the Phillies, pretty good plays in the field make you feel like you're watching Ozzie Smith or Brooks Robinson out there. In the bottom of the fifth, first baseman Kody Clemens made a heck of a play out there for the second out of the inning, diving to his right before firing it to Ranger Suárez covering at first.
Nationals outfielder Alex Call, who was on second, was only able to advance to third base instead of scoring outright and tying the game on a would-be hit. In the following at-bat, Suárez forced a weak ground out to second base, preserving the 2-1 lead.
I could not find a video of this play on Twitter to include here, but take my word for it: that was a game-saving play. I'll only include it as a "bonus" award given that lack of video evidence.
The Detroit Tigers (26-30) come to Citizens Bank Park for a three-game set beginning Monday night. Here are the probable pitchers for the series:
| Date | Tigers | Phillies |
| 6/5, 6:40 p.m. | Joey Wentz (L) | Aaron Nola (R) |
| 6/6, 6:40 p.m. | TBD | Taijuan Walker (R) |
| 6/7, 6:05 p.m. | TBD | Zack Wheeler (R) |
The Wentz jokes write themselves.
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