Phillies go 5-2 on West Coast trip
The Phillies return home on Tuesday to begin a three-game set with the Padres
Phillies can’t complete sweep of Dodgers
Gavin Lux’s two-run double against Corey Knebel in the 9th inning of Sunday’s game led the Los Angeles Dodgers to victory and prevented the Philadelphia Phillies from sweeping them in four games. Philadelphia now heads home after going 5-2 on their West Coast trip. —Lauren Amour, Inside the Phillies
Pitching performances:
PHI Aaron Nola: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
LAD Michael Grove: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Standout bats:
PHI Rhys Hoskins: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
PHI Jean Segura: 12-game hitting streak
PHI Garrett Stubbs: 2-for-3, 2B, RBI
LAD Mookie Betts: 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
MORE: Has the Phillies offense turned things around? —Ben Silver, Inside the Phillies
Eflin reportedly eyeing Tuesday return
Pitcher Zach Eflin looks likely to return from the COVID-19 injured list on Tuesday just in time to face the San Diego Padres at home.
Eflin was placed on the COVID-19 IL on May 8, but according to Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, he may return to the club as soon as Tuesday.
Eflin's COVID-19 timeline is different from fellow starter Zack Wheeler; Wheeler's bout was likely due to contact tracing or a more mild case of COVID-19, but based upon the extended time that Eflin has missed, he's presumably dealt with more severe symptoms.
If Eflin does return to the starting five on Tuesday, the Phillies' rotation will line up as follows: Nola, Eflin, Wheeler, Gibson, and Suárez. —Ben Silver, Inside the Phillies
MORE: With Gregorius' return looming, what does Stott’s future hold? —Declan Harris, Inside the Phillies
Phillies return home to take on Padres
The Phillies will return home to South Philadelphia for a three-game set with the San Diego Padres beginning on Tuesday. Absent Fernando Tatis, Jr., San Diego is currently in second place in the NL West behind the Dodgers with a 22-13 record. —Declan Harris, Inside the Phillies
Game 1:
PHI starter: TBD
SDP starter: Mike Clevinger (0-0, 5.00 ERA)
First pitch: May 17, 6:45 p.m. EST
NBCSP/94.1 WIP
Game 2:
PHI starter: Zack Wheeler (1-2, 4.26 ERA)
SDP starter: Blake Snell (0-0, -.-- ERA)
First pitch: May 18, 6:45 p.m. EST
NBCSP/94.1 WIP
Game 3:
PHI starter: Kyle Gibson (3-1, 4.10 ERA)
SDP starter: Yu Darvish (3-1, 4.62 ERA)
First pitch: May 19, 1:05 p.m. EST
NBC 10, MLB Network/94.1 WIP
MORE: Scott Kingery officially rejoins Iron Pigs —Alex Carr, Inside the Phillies
Latest Inside the Phillies podcast
Lauren Amour, Alex Carr, Kade Kistner, and Ben Silver discuss the Phillies’ 5-2 road trip and what they’ll need to do to make a postseason run.
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Harper takes home NL Player of the Week honors
On May 16, it was announced by MLB that Bryce Harper had won NL Player of the Week honors, along with Los Angeles Angels’ rookie pitcher Reid Detmers for the AL, who threw a no-hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays last week.
Between May 9 and May 14, Harper slashed .609/.643/1.261 with six doubles, three home runs, eight RBI, four walks, and three stolen bases in just 28 plate appearances.
Despite his UCL tear, Harper’s 1.261 slugging percentage for the week is nearly .200 points higher than his total OPS in 2021.
This comes as Harper's seventh NL Player of the Week award, but surprisingly, his first in a Phillies uniform. —Ben Silver, Inside the Phillies
MORE: Bryce Harper could be on his way to another MVP season —Alex Carr, Inside the Phillies
Phocus on Phillies’ farm
The weekend’s top performers:
Triple-A: 1B Darick Hall - 3-for-12, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, 4 K
Hall continues to mash Triple-A pitching, as he's up to 12 home runs on the season, alongside 38 RBI. He's hitting .282 with a .967 OPS, and while he still lacks ability to hit lefties, his numbers are very hard to ignore.
Double-A: OF Jhailyn Ortiz - 5-for-12, 2 HR, 2B, 4 R, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K
Powered by two long home runs, Ortiz is now showing some really impressive numbers in Double-A. He's up to a .263 average and an .880 OPS, alongside eight home runs. His performance earned him Eastern League Player of the Week.
High-A: RHP Ben Brown - 5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K
Fresh off of Tommy John surgery, Brown is off to a decent start to his season, and spun a gem in Sunday's game against the Bowling Green Hot Rods. Surprisingly, Brown's velocity has reportedly increased since his return from the procedure, and many believe that there's still more to come.
Single-A: INF Hao-Yu Lee - 7-for-12, 3 HR, 2B, 3 R, 10 RBI, 7 BB, 8 K
Lee is hitting .405 in the month of May with a 1.320 OPS, and is up to a .327 average on the season with a .953 OPS. His efforts earned him Florida State League Player of the Week honors. —Alex Carr, Inside the Phillies
MORE: Should the Phillies draft Kumar Rocker? —Tom Skulski, Inside the Phillies
Opinion: Are the Phillies contenders or pretenders?
Though the Phillies’ offense is arguably the best in the NL and the starting rotation is more than competent, the Phillies bullpen—like it has in years past—will hold them back.
Only eight teams in MLB have a better run differential than the Phillies, all of whom, with the exception of the Los Angeles Angels and New York Mets, made the postseason in 2021.
The 2022 club currently places second in the NL in runs, but leads the pack in SLG and OPS.
Philadelphia can be contenders if everything falls their way and President Dave Dombrowski adds relief help, but as it stands now, the only thing blocking the Phillies’ path to the postseason is themselves. —Ben Silver, Inside the Phillies
MORE: What should the Phillies expect from Jose Alvarado? —Lauren Amour, Inside the Phillies