Let's keep it rollin'
Phillies head to San Fran for three games
Massive W
After being pummeled by the Arizona Diamondbacks across the first two games of the series, the Philadelphia Phillies reclaimed their confidence in the finale. They put up 18 runs on 22 hits on Wednesday night, avoiding a sweep and actually managing to outscore Arizona in the series 28-27. They now begin September with some momentum, which hardly looked possible following Tuesday’s loss. —Leo Morgenstern, Inside the Phillies
Pitching performances:
PHI Bailey Falter: 6.1 IP, 5 H, ER, 6 K
ARI Tommy Henry: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
Standout bats:
PHI Rhys Hoskins: 3-for-6, BB, 2 2B, RBI
PHI Brandon Marsh: 3-for-6, 3B, 3 RBI
PHI J.T. Realmuto: 2-for-4, BB, 2B, RBI
PHI Bryce Harper: 3-for-4, 2 BB, RBI
Phillies select Vinny Nittoli, Donny Sands to active roster
With the turn of the calendar, MLB's typical 26-man roster expands to a 28-man roster, in order to help teams stagger their workloads as they gear up for the postseason.
The Phillies announced their respective additions on Thursday, selecting right-handed pitcher Vinny Nittoli, as well as catcher Donny Sands to their roster.
Nittoli, whom the Phillies just acquired in trade from the Toronto Blue Jays, will look to take on some low-leverage innings for a limping Philadelphia bullpen.
Sands, on the other hand, will likely serve as extra catching assurance, and a right-handed hitter off of the bench, which the Phillies need. He's had a spectacular year with Lehigh Valley, hitting .309/.413/.428 with five home runs, striking out just 44 times to 38 walks. —Alex Carr, Inside the Phillies
MORE: Daniel Brito to be honored at Rochester Red Wings game —Lauren Amour, Inside the Phillies
Golden Gate dreams
For the first time this season, the Phillies will pay a visit to San Francisco to take on the Giants. During their first meeting at the end of May, Philadelphia lost the series, but won the finale of the three-game set, beginning the Rob Thomson era with a nine-game winning streak. They hope to replicate that same momentum this time around, especially as the baseball season enters September. —Lauren Amour, Inside the Phillies
Game 1:
PHI starter: Kyle Gibson (9-5, 4.08 ERA)
SFG starter: Alex Cobb (4-6, 3.81 ERA)
First pitch: September 2, 10:15 p.m. EST
Apple TV+
Game 2:
PHI starter: Noah Syndergaard (8-9, 3.98 ERA)
SFG starter: Jakob Junis (4-4, 4.04 ERA)
First pitch: September 3, 4:05 p.m. EST
NBCSP/94.1 WIP
Game 3:
PHI starter: Ranger Suárez (8-5, 3.42 ERA)
SFG starter: Carlos Rodón (12-7, 3.03 ERA)
First pitch: September 4, 4:05 p.m. EST
NBCSP/94.1 WIP
Latest Inside the Phillies podcast
Lauren Amour, Alex Carr, Kade Kistner, and Ben Silver discuss the Phillies recent string of heartbreaking losses. Is their season, and playoff hopes, ending?
The Inside the Phillies crew tries to make sense of the disappointing series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!
Phillies injury update: Wheeler, Castellanos, Falter, Eflin
Injuries have plagued Phillies this season, few rostered players have avoided the injury bug in 2022. The latest to deal with injuries are Zack Wheeler, Nick Castellanos, and Bailey Falter.
Zack Wheeler was placed on the 15-day IL on Aug. 22 with right forearm tendinitis. Thankfully, the right-hander will not require a rehab stint, and is supposed to throw a bullpen session this weekend while with the team in San Francisco. He could return as soon as Tuesday to make his scheduled start against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park, per The Athletic's Matt Gelb.
Nick Castellanos was absent from Philadelphia's lineup during the series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The slugger has been experiencing turf toe, leaving him sidelined during the Phillies' roadtrip. According to Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, interim manager Rob Thomson said Castellanos could return to the lineup on Friday.
Bailey Falter departed Wednesday night's game with the assistant athletic training in the seventh inning. His injury was dubbed a right groin issue. According to Coffey, Falter's injury isn't serious. After receiving treatment post-game, the Phillies young started reported feeling "much better." He plans to be ready for his bullpen and his next start, a welcome result, especially given his recent performances.
Zach Eflin, meanwhile, hasn't appeared in a game since June 25 against the San Diego Padres—the same game Harper was injured—and has been on the IL since June 26 with a right knee bruise. This is nothing new, knee injuries have prevented him from staying healthy for an entire season multiple years in a row. However, the 28-year-old recently participated in a bullpen session, and felt good; he will throw off of a mound soon. Philadelphia is still hopeful he could return this season, just in time for a potential postseason run, but now as a member of the bullpen. —Lauren Amour & Ben Silver, Inside the Phillies
The Rookie League Phillies are champions of the DSL
Your 2022 (DSL) Philadelphia Phillies are champions!
The Dominican Summer League squad took down their Rockies counterpart in a best-of-three series, claiming the final game by a score of 7-3. Outfielder Raylin Heredia was easily the series MVP, and notched three hits including two doubles in Thursday's game, scoring two runs and driving in one. Outfielder Jorge Garcia also managed to score two runs, as well as driving in two of his own.
Right-hander Javier Fuenmayor pitched a strong 5.1 innings of scoreless ball, as Saul Teran notched the four out save to secure the Phillies victory. It's a major accomplishment for the team, most of whom are in their first years of true professional ball. It's very likely fans will be seeing many of this particular team stateside next season.
Triple-A: Guthrie mounts massive day, notches four hits for IronPigs
With every day that passes, Dalton Guthrie is looking more and more like the real thing. The utilityman is following up a career year with, well, another career year! He's hit .294 with the IronPigs this season, good for an .824 OPS, and has showcased a plus contact tool over the last year-and-a-half.
Double-A: Rojas starts September right, stays blistering hot
Johan Rojas is on fire. The top outfield posted a three-hit day on Thursday, including two doubles and a triple. Rojas is now 15 for his last 40 (.375) and has significantly improved in terms of approach and swing decisions over the last month.
High-A: Glogoski spins five solid, but BlueClaws fall flat
New Zealander Kyle Glogoski spun five solid innings of one-run ball on Thursday, striking out nine in the process. He has had a solid season, posting a 3.10 ERA over 61 frames this season. Injuries have gotten in the way, and he's pitching a bit below his skill level, but should he stay the course, Glogoski appears aimed for Reading next season. —Alex Carr, Inside the Phillies
MORE: Phillies release 2023 spring training schedule —Lauren Amour, Inside the Phillies
Opinion: Brandon Marsh, the center fielder Philadelphia deserves
Brandon Marsh wasn't the flashiest signing the Phillies could have made at the deadline. The greasy-haired, Civil War-bearded 24-year-old was a confounding choice for a team in contention. Just a year and a half removed from being MLB's no. 53 overall prospect, Marsh still had an air of uncertainty about him. Though he had struggled so far in his short big league career, it was apparent his floor and ceiling were high.
Marsh had already blossomed into a great defensive player. Though he had spent much of his playing time in left field due to one Los Angeles Angels' outfielder from Millville, N.J. taking playing time in center.
There's a great player in Marsh still waiting to come out of its cocoon, and the Phillies might just be beginning to see that butterfly emerge. In 51 plate appearances for the Phillies, Marsh has slashed .286/.314/.429 for a 107 OPS+. His year-to-date average exit velocity is 88.7 mph, but in his month with the Phillies that figure is 91.9 mph.
If Marsh can start 2023 the way he's ended 2022, the Phillies may have picked up one of the best center fielders in baseball. —Ben Silver, Inside the Phillies
MORE: How unwritten clubhouse rules caused a fight between Jimmy Rollins and Cliff Lee —Leo Morgenstern, Inside the Phillies