Phillies flounder against Fish
The Philadelphia Phillies were once again unable to finish off a sweep of the Miami Marlins on Thursday, losing by a score of 5-3. Noah Syndergaard struggled, and the offense—outside of Brandon Marsh—was unable to get much of anything going against Miami starter Pablo López. Their winning streak ended at five games, and they now head to Atlanta for a three-game set. —Ben Silver, Inside the Phillies
Pitching performances:
PHI Noah Syndergaard: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, BB, 3 K
MIA Pablo López: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 5 K
Standout bats:
PHI Brandon Marsh: 4-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI
PHI Kyle Schwarber: 1-for-3, HR, RBI, BB
PHI Bryson Stott: 2-for-4, 2B
MIA Bryan De La Cruz: 1-for-3, HR, 4 RBI
Sosa placed on 10-day IL, Muñoz recalled
The Phillies' bench has once again lost a key member, with Edmundo Sosa landing on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain.
He suffered the injury on Thursday night in Miami attempting to run out a ground ball in the sixth inning. Nick Maton came on to play third base in the bottom half of the frame.
Sosa's injury could not have come at a worse time, since the 2022 MLB trade deadline acquisition has been unstoppable as of late. Over his last seven games, the 26-year-old was slashing .389/.421/.944 with two home runs and five RBI. He's also filled in at shortstop and excelled defensively.
In his place, the Phillies have called up infielder Yairo Muñoz from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. —Lauren Amour, Inside the Phillies
MORE: Phillies without Castellanos for at least another week —Lauren Amour, Inside the Phillies
Phillies must brave Atlanta
The Braves and Phillies each possess two of the best records in baseball since June 1, with Atlanta going 65-28 and the Phillies at 59-34. The reigning World Champions also reinstated second baseman Ozzie Albies from the 60-day IL on Friday, who had been sidelined with a broken left foot since June 13. Following their loss in the series finale against the Marlins, Philadelphia will have their work cut out for them this weekend against one of the hottest teams in baseball. —Lauren Amour, Inside the Phillies
Game 1:
PHI starter: Ranger Suárez (9-5, 3.62 ERA)
ATL starter: Max Fried (13-6, 2.50 ERA)
First pitch: September 16, 7:20 p.m. EST
NBCSP/94.1 WIP
Game 2:
PHI starter: Aaron Nola (9-11, 3.31 ERA)
ATL starter: Jake Odorizzi (5-5, 4.15 ERA)
First pitch: September 17, 7:20 p.m. EST
NBC 10/MLB Network/94.1 WIP
Game 3:
PHI starter: Bailey Falter (5-3, 3.80 ERA)
ATL starter: Spencer Strider (10-5, 2.72 ERA)
First pitch: September 18, 1:35 p.m. EST
NBCSP/94.1 WIP
MORE: Falter has been Phillies' most reliable starter of second half —Alex Carr, Inside the Phillies
Phillies place Emanuel on IL, claim pitcher off waivers
The Phillies' pitching depth took another hit on Wednesday afternoon, as left-hander Kent Emanuel was placed on the 60-day injured list with a left shoulder strain.
The southpaw was effective with the IronPigs, pitching to a 2.37 ERA in 10 starts. Unfortunately, the 30-year-old didn't touch a major league mound this season, and is now done for the year.
In his place, Philadelphia claimed right-hander Tayler Scott off waivers from the San Diego Padres. The former fifth round draft pick was optioned to Lehigh Valley. In 2022, the 30-year-old has appeared in eight major league games, posting a 6.75 ERA and 3.53 FIP in 12 innings.
Scott has options left and offers bullpen depth to a lacking Phillies team as September dwindles down. —Lauren Amour, Inside the Phillies
MORE: A cutter made José Alvarado the best reliever in the Phillies’ bullpen —Ben Silver, Inside the Phillies
McGarry tosses two scoreless frames on quest to Majors
The Phillies have been anything but coy with top pitching prospect Griff McGarry. If he can prove his case at the Triple-A level, he will almost certainly get the call to the bigs before the 2022 season comes to a close.
The Phillies could use another arm with length, even after the re-addition of right-hander Zach Eflin to the bullpen. McGarry not only has the capability to go multiple innings, but also boasts some of the filthiest stuff in all of the minor leagues. If he can harness his control, the 23-year-old could prove a weapon for Philadelphia down the stretch.
McGarry tossed two strong, hitless frames for Lehigh Valley on Thursday. He walked a singular batter, and struck out three on the night. It was the sharpest he's looked thus far at the Triple-A level.
Double-A: In Reading, it's been a dismal year for the Phillies' 2021 second round pick Ethan Wilson, but he got a bit of a boost on Thursday, hitting the first home run of his Double-A career.
The 22-year-old outfielder has been a bit of a surprise for Reading thus far. That's not to say he's playing incredibly well per se, but the youngster's numbers through his first 16 Double-A contests have been on par with the mediocre totals he posted in High-A ball this season.
Reports on Wilson have been poor, but he'll be one to watch going forward. The team's recent parting with Jason Ochart, the Phillies former minor league hitting coordinator, could have a ripple effect on the youngster, who seemingly struggled under Ochart's watch. —Alex Carr, Inside the Phillies
MORE: Stott continues to grow during first career playoff push —Leo Morgenstern, Inside the Phillies
Opinion: Realmuto is playing best baseball of his career
After J.T. Realmuto posted a weaker season in 2021, it didn't take long for Phillies fans to lose their minds over his slow start to 2022.
However, Realmuto responded to the criticism by posting one of—if not, thee—best season his career. Through 121 games, he is slashing .275/.348/.475 on the season with 18 home runs, a career-high 17 stolen bases, a career-high 128 wRC+, and a career-high 5.8 fWAR. Not to mention the fact that Realmuto continues to play defense at an elite level, and is far and away the best at stopping would-be base stealers in their tracks.
In his four years as a Phillie, Realmuto has performed like a true superstar. He has accumulated 4.5+ fWAR in each and every full season he's played, totaling at a whopping 18.6 fWAR across four years in red pinstripes. He boasts the 12th highest fWAR total in baseball from 2019-2022, surpassed only by names like Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Juan Soto, and others.
Don't look now, but it's more-than likely that Realmuto is going to end up on a few MVP ballots once all is said and done, and deservedly so. —Alex Carr, Inside the Phillies
MORE: Can Alec Bohm bat .300 this season? —Leo Morgenstern, Inside the Phillies