Relax, Everyone—Series Preview: Phillies at Mariners, August 2 – 4
Photo via Fast Philly Sports
The Phillies spent the first three months of the season sailing as smoothly as anyone could have dreamed of. Going into the all-star break at 28 games over the .500 mark, the Phils had the best record in baseball, were the only team to win 60 games, and had a franchise record eight all-star representatives. Less than three weeks later, Phillies fans have hit the panic button.
Is this justified? Yes and no.
Needless to say, the Phillies have not performed up to par over the last three weeks. They have racked up just three wins since the all-star break, and Wednesday’s 6-5 loss to the Yankees marked the first time the Phillies had been swept at home since June of 2022. Frustration is rational, but this is certainly not the end all be all. The Phillies have the best record in the national league, they still lead the NL East by six games, and their eight all-stars are still all-star caliber players. Right now, they just cannot click.
Now, it is time for the Phillies to get out of this funk. After a full day off and a whiff of the wet Seattle air, all we can do is hope that this rejuvenates the struggling Phillies. They are slated to begin their ten-game west coast road trip with a three-game set against the 57-53 Seattle Mariners.
Striking Early
The Mariners struck early during the 2024 deadline deal season, making three noteworthy acquisitions before the July 30 deadline. To bolster their bullpen, the Mariners dealt rookie Jonatan Classe and minor-league catcher Jacob Sharp to the Blue Jays in exchange for Yimi Garica, a lethal arm out of the backend of the bullpen.
With former Phillie J.P. Crawford hitting the injured list, they traded for Justin Turner to fill out their infield. even at 39-years-old, Turner has put together a decent season. Over his last 15 games, Turner has a .348/.380/.457 slash line.
And the big acquisition made by the Mariners was Randy Arozarena, the 2021 Rookie of the Year and a 2023 American League All-Star. Arozarena has not had a great year at the plate, but, like Turner, has been red hot as of late. In 88 July at-bats, Arozarena has five home runs, 11 RBI, a .284 batting average, and a .924 OPS.
The Last Hope
Sure, I’m exaggerating. I just told you that though the Phillies aren’t fine right now, they absolutely will be. However, Tyler Phillips has been the Phils’ only dash of hope over the past three weeks. In fact, three of the Phillies’ last four wins have come on days where Tyler Phillips is the starting pitcher!
Now, since we are being realistic, just like how the Phillies will ultimately be okay, Tyler Phillips is not going to start game one of the NLDS. Nonetheless, it’s role players like him that keep good teams afloat in times of injuries and slumps. With Taijuan Walker, Spencer Turnbull, and Ranger Suarez all on the shelf, Phillips had the opportunity to step up, and he was sure to capitalize. In 25 innings with the Phillies, Phillips has a 3-0 record, 1.80 ERA, and a 0.76 WHIP.
Phillips is set to start game one tonight. Here is the lineup behind him:
- DH Kyle Schwarber
- SS Trea Turner
- 1B Bryce Harper
- 3B Alec Bohm
- LF Brandon Marsh
- C J.T. Realmuto
- RF Nick Castellanos
- 2B Bryson Stott
- CF Johan Rojas
Game Times and Broadcasts
Friday, August 2, 9:40p.m. ET, MLB Network, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP
Saturday, August 3, 9:40p.m. ET, MLB Network NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP
Sunday, August 4, 4:10p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP
Probable Pitching Matchups
Game 1: Tyler Phillips (RHP, 3-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. Bryan Woo (RHP, 4-1, 2.35 ERA)
Game 2: Kolby Allard (LHP, 0-0, 6.75 ERA) vs Bryce Miller (RHP, 8-7, 3.46 ERA)
Game 3: Zack Wheeler (RHP, 10-5, 2.94 ERA) vs Logan Gilbert (RHP, 6-7, 3.11 ERA)
By the Numbers
- Records
- Phillies: 65-43
- Mariners: 57-53
- Run Differential
- Phillies: 102
- Mariners: 21
- Runs Scored Per Game
- Phillies: 4.88
- Mariners: 3.92
- Runs Allowed Per Game
- Phillies: 3.94
- Mariners: 3.73
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