July 26, 2026
Eric Hartline/Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) speaks with pitcher Cristopher Sánchez (61) and shortstop Trea Turner (7) during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Citizens Bank Park.
The All-Star break ended 12 days ago.
The Phillies, especially their hitters, appear to still be on it.
After struggling at the plate in their first two post-MidSummer Classic series, the Phils had totaled one run in their first two games of their interleague series against the Yankees in South Philly, then matched that Sunday in the first inning alone before a rare outpouring led to an 11-4 win on prime time.
The Game 3 eruption painted a completely different picture offensively to a national audience than the one fans saw most of the weekend.
The Phillies have scored one or fewer run five times in their nine games coming out of the break, and the few game-changing hitters they do have keep producing only in small spurts.
With the MLB trade deadline less than 10 days away, perhaps an impact hitter has risen back to the top of their needs list, ahead of relief arm and fifth starter in what's become a season-long game of what's-worse leapfrog. (We haven't even addressed the defense yet.)
This latest series was lost because the Phillies didn't generate offense for two-thirds of it. The Yankees didn't have injured three-time MVP Aaron Judge to help them, and didn't need him.
Paul Goldschmidt's homer represented the lone run in N.Y.'s 1-0 win Friday, and Cody Bellinger's two-run double the next night in the same ballpark where he won All-Star Game MVP fueled a 3-1 Yankees win. The Phils wasted an excellent start from Jesús Luzardo and rare impactful effort from the relief arms in a bullpen game.
Like they did last month for Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, the Phillies helped Yanks right-hander Cam Schlitter make a convincing case for Cy Young, then made Ryan Weathers – he of the 4-7 record – actually look like Cy Young before finally finding their stroke Sunday against Will Warren and the Yankee bullpen.
But by then, the damage had been done.
The Phillies had dropped their third straight series since the break, had lost more ground in the NL East race to the Atlanta Braves, and then hit the airport for a trip to Miami for a three-game series against the Marlins starting Monday night.
Not to worry, though. LeBron James signed with the Sixers. This will surely hijack the sports news cycle until the Phillies do something big at the trade deadline.
Here's all you need to know about their series against the Yankees:
The Phillies have been a top-heavy lineup all year, and when their top hitters aren't hitting, the entire offense typically goes into the tank.
In the first two games against NY, the lefty All-Star trio of Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh combined to go 3-for-21 with six strikeouts and no walks.
Schwarber actually stroked two doubles but hadn't homered or drove in a run for six straight games before a first-inning sac fly Sunday scored Trea Turner. After a 1-for-11 showing against the Dodgers in the prior series, Schwarber is batting 4-for-31 (.129) since the All-Star break.
Harper went hitless in eight at bats before doubling in the third off Warren. In total, he finished 1-for-11 in the series and is 5-for-37 (.135) since the break.
Marsh has really hit rock bottom lately, also going hitless in eight straight plate appearances before being intentionally walked by Warren in the third and singling in the fifth. He went 1-for-11 against the Yankees and is 4-for-31 (.129) since the break.
Defense has been shoddy for shortstop Trea Turner all season, even as his bat has heated up. His series against the Dodgers was one heck of a roller coaster ride. But this series might've actually been the entire team's worst of the season defensively.
The Phils had at least one error in all three games and multiple errors in the last two, including two more by Turner, who upped his league lead to 18. Amazingly, none of their five total errors resulted in an unearned run, an anomaly for sure.
Good luck botching four grounders and throwing a ball away on a pickoff without allowing an unearned run in any other series.
Saturday's 3-1 loss was the Phillies' 11th straight from the fifth spot in the rotation, but there might be some hope for a better future.
Brian Keller, a 32-year-old journeyman right-hander who was dealing in Triple-A, was called up Saturday to make his big-league debut. He entered in the third and tossed 3.0 innings of one-run, two-hit ball while striking out three on 39 total pitches.
After, manager Don Mattingly told reporters that Keller could be a candidate for more work.
"It's early, but that's something we'll talk about as we go," he said (h/t NBC Sports Philly).
Perhaps the fifth starter?
Keller, who started his pro career in 2016 as a low-level Yankees prospect, bounced around the minors and played in Japan before coming to the Phillies this season and posting a 2.23 ERA in 8 starts for the IronPigs, with a 9.4 K/9 rate.
The first major-league batter he faced was two-time All-Star Jazz Chisolm Jr., who whiffed on a 2-2 sweeper.
“It was amazing. Dream come true.”
— Dave Uram (@MrUram) July 26, 2026
Brian Keller, 32, made his major league debut in today’s Phillies-Yankees.
He’s a major leaguer now after his long journey.
“Nobody can take that from me, right? Proud of that.” @SportsRadioWIP @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/bIVFEj3WVk
Prior to Saturday's game, the Phillies announced they had sent cash considerations to the Royals for outfielder Kameron Misner, then sent Misner to Triple-A.
The Phillies have acquired Kameron Misner from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for cash considerations and optioned him to Lehigh Valley (AAA). To make room on the 40-man roster, OF Steward Berroa has been designated for assignment.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 25, 2026
The lefty-hitting Misner, a 2019 Marlins first-round pick, has played 97 games with the Rays and Royals, including 18 with Kansas City this season. He has a career .206/.259/.312 slash line and -0.3 career WAR. His last game in the majors actually came against the Phillies, on July 6.
In 63 games this season with the Triple-A affiliate for Kansas City, Misner had slashed .286/.378/.563 with 14 homers, 54 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 15 attempts. Misner has power and speed, with 90 homers, 330 RBI and 143 stolen bases in 605 games in the minors.
Given the team's woeful track record of drafting, developing and more recently signing free agent outfielders, maybe trying to develop another team's first-rounder isn't a bad idea.
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