A Wash out
The Philadelphia Phillies are rolling. They’ve won their last five games and just swept out the Washington Nationals at home. Granted, the Nationals are the worst team in baseball, but the Phillies seem to finally be beating the teams they should beat, something they’ve struggled with in year’s past. They’ve played their way into sole possession of the second NL Wild Card spot, a .5 game above the San Diego Padres. —Alex Carr, Inside the Phillies
Pitching performances:
PHI Aaron Nola: 6.0 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K
WSH Cory Abbott: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
Standout bats:
PHI Darick Hall: 2-for-4, BB, 2 HR, 2 RBI
PHI Bryson Stott: 2-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI
PHI Rhys Hoskins: 1-for-2, BB, HR, 2 RBI
PHI Nick Maton: 3-for-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
MORE: Darick Hall is MLB's next premier pinch hitter —Ben Silver, Inside the Phillies
Could Harper's favorite MLB player join the Phillies next season?
Bryce Harper knows exactly what kind of influence he has as the face of the Phillies’ franchise. He knows that both fans and ownership listen to him, and respect his opinions.
That's why it was so meaningful when Harper praised Trea Turner on Thursday night's Phillies broadcast. “Turner is my favorite player in the league, it's not even close,” he said.
The two were teammates for three and a half seasons in Washington, from 2015-2018. Harper knows how impactful Turner can be, both on the base paths and on defense, as well as offensively.
With so much money coming off the books after 2022 in the form of Didi Gregorius, Jean Segura, Corey Knebel etc., the Phillies’ approximate payroll for 2023 is only about $164 million according to Spotrac. Even if Turner requests a $30 million AAV, it's a price John Middleton and the Phillies’ ownership can afford. —Ben Silver, Inside the Phillies
MORE: Castellanos must continue the search for his missing power —Leo Morgenstern, Inside the Phillies
Something’s fishy
The Phillies now reel in the Miami Marlins for a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park beginning on Tuesday. The Fish are 10 games below .500 at 49-59, and have been without their 2022 All-Star second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. They’ve certainly struggled in his absence, and were swept in Miami by Philadelphia just before the All-Star Break for the first time since 2010. Let’s hope the Phillies can continue that trend. —Lauren Amour, Inside the Phillies
Game 1:
PHI starter: Zack Wheeler (10-5, 2.69 ERA)
MIA starter: Braxton Garrett (2-5, 3.88 ERA)
First pitch: August 9, 7:05 p.m. EST
NBCSP/94.1 WIP
Game 2:
PHI starter: Noah Syndergaard (6-8, 4.02 ERA)
MIA starter: Sandy Alcantara (10-4, 1.88 ERA)
First pitch: August 10, 7:05 p.m. EST
NBCSP/94.1 WIP
Game 3:
PHI starter: Kyle Gibson (4-2, 4.41 ERA)
MIA starter: Edward Cabrera (2-1, 2.61 ERA)
First pitch: August 11, 1:05 p.m. EST
NBCSP, MLB Network/94.1 WIP
Latest Inside the Phillies podcast
Lauren Amour, Alex Carr, Kade Kistner, and Ben Silver discuss Noah Syndergaard, Brandon Marsh, David Robertson, and rate the strength of the Phillies’ acquisitions. Were their moves worth it?
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Opinion: Suárez is proving to be the #3 starter the Phillies need
Before the trade deadline, many expected the Phillies to deal for a bona fide third starter. Ultimately, Philadelphia ended up with Noah Syndergaard, and at this point in his career, Syndergaard falls closer to a back-end starter than a number three. Thankfully, he doesn't need to be a third starter for this team. As it turns out, the Phillies already have their third starter: Ranger Suárez.
Over the past two months, Suárez's has worked to bring down his earned run average. It currently sits at 3.60, half a run better than the average starter. His 3.83 FIP, 3.78 xFIP, and 3.80 xERA are all slightly better than league average too.
According to FanGraphs, 160 different pitchers have started at least one game in the National League this season. Among them all, Suárez ranks 34th in Wins Above Replacement. Those numbers are the markings of a number three starter.
Come October, Rob Thomson should have no hesitation as to who takes the hill after Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. —Leo Morgenstern, Inside the Phillies
MORE: Can Bryson Stott's breakout be traced to Rob Thomson? —Lauren Amour, Inside the Phillies
McGarry slings strong start for Reading Phillies
There were three prospects that the Phillies' front office deemed as "untouchable" prior to last week's Aug. 2 trade deadline, and among them was Griff McGarry, who dominated for Reading on Sunday night.
The 23-year-old spun four solid innings of one-hit, one-run baseball, striking out six, and walking two. It was far from his most efficient outing, but he got the job done on 77 pitches, 46 of which were strikes.
McGarry now joins his top prospect counterparts in Mick Abel and Andrew Painter with a strong first start in August. Abel and Painter tossed a combined 13 shoutout innings this past Saturday in Jersey Shore's doubleheader, striking out a cumulative 19 batters.
Triple-A: IronPigs embarrassed in finale vs. Mets
The IronPigs' series against the Syracuse Mets was a strong one. They ended up taking four of six from their Eastern League rivals, and had outscored them 36-23 across that span... that is prior to Sunday night, when the Mets roared back for 18 runs, outscoring the Pigs in the series 38-41. Lehigh Valley's pitching was pounded, and their offense evaporated as they dropped the finale by a score of 18-2.
Double-A: Simon Muzziotti cannot be stopped
There is no other way to say it: Simon Muzziotti is the hottest hitter on the planet right now. The 23-year-old is hitting .560 over the last week, tacking 14 hits across his last 25 at-bats, while striking out four times and walking twice. On Sunday, Muzzy slapped three hits, scored twice, and swiped two bags in Reading's win over Hartford.
High-A: Ethan Wilson is heating up
It's been an exceedingly disappointing season for the Phillies’ 2021 second rounder, but Ethan Wilson has begun to pick things up of late. The 22-year-old has recorded eight hits over his last five games, including two in Sunday's game.
Single-A: Hao-Yu Lee strokes two more hits
Lee was undoubtedly the fastest rising bat in the Phillies’ system this season. After a wrist injury had him sidelined from the end of May through the middle of July, his return to Clearwater has been solid. The 19-year-old has hit .255, and has reached base at a .340 clip since his return, notching two doubles along the way. He recorded two hits on Sunday, and knocked in two runs as well. —Alex Carr, Inside the Phillies
MORE: The Phillies were wise to keep these prospects —Alex Carr, Inside the Phillies
Opinion: Realmuto is the best catcher in baseball again
J.T. Realmuto hit his lowest low on May 22. He bottomed out at a dreadful .224/.293/.321 slash line. To that point, he had hit just two home runs, and tallied only eight extra-base hits overall. But a switch flipped that day, and Realmuto once again evolved into the 'best catcher in baseball.'
In the 56 games that followed his dismal start, Realmuto has gone on to slash .293/.366/.525. 10 of his 12 home runs on the season have come in that span, and he's worked an 8.4% walk-rate to go along with a 16.7% strikeout-rate. Thanks to this strong stretch, the catcher now leads Phillies’ position players in WAR.
Within that same 56-game sample, Realmuto ranks second among qualified catchers in average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and wRC+, and he is easily the best baserunner of the bunch.
In the long run, it seems as though Realmuto will live up to expectations. He has been just as effective at the dish this season as he has been behind it, and that speaks volumes of how impressive his resurgence has been. —Alex Carr, Inside the Phillies