Edmundo Sosa Leads Charge for Phillies in Commanding 5-1 Win Over Rockies
Apr 2, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Edmundo Sosa (33) reacts next to Colorado Rockies second base Kyle Farmer (6) after his 2 RBI double during the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The Phillies have won their first two series of the season.
In game two of this home opening series, pitching showed up with one earned run, and the bats drove in five runs in Wednesday’s 5-1 victory over the Rockies.
The Phillies got Trea Turner and other cold bats back on their feet, and Edmundo Sosa stayed red hot.
Is Sosa the Real Deal?
It’s been one good stretch for Edmundo Sosa, as he now leads the Phillies roster with nine hits and has an average of .600 to start the season. It’s the highest qualified batting average in all of baseball.
Not only do his hits and average count, but when these hits come, they are essential to his value on this Phillies team. When it mattered most in a 1-0 game in the home opener against the Rockies, Sosa delivered with a double to give the Phillies the lead. Tonight, Sosa went three for four adding to his potential and importance with the Phillies this year.
They may decide to bat Sosa for Bryson Stott with a south paw on the bump at some points throughout the season, or can find him another spot with hopes for him to continue this outburst of hitting. No matter how they do it, Sosa will find ways to contribute to this baseball club however he can.
Turner Shows a Bright Spot
Coming into this game tonight, Turner had not played since Thursday due to back spasms, and he came through with a strong performance with three hits and an RBI.
His key play in this game was his RBI single in the seventh inning to extend the Phillies’ lead to two runs with a line drive over the shortstop’s head.
Wheeler Continues to Deal
It’s a surprise to no one that Zack Wheeler would find a consistent rhythm to his game in 2025. Wheeler is indubitably living up to the standard, as he notches his first win of the season.
Wheeler went for seven innings, allowing three hits, only one earned run, and ten strikeouts. He seemed to have a good feel of all of his pitches, as he was able to command the zone for the time he was out there.
From how he looked tonight, Wheeler will continue to perform and execute on the hill. His 1.38 ERA will look to stand throughout the year, even with tough opponents on the way.
Bullpen Strengths and Weaknesses
With Wheeler going seven total innings, relievers Matt Strahm and Jose Alvarado would split the last two innings without giving up an earned run. Although they shut out the Rockies in these innings, there were some concerns regarding these relievers, and positives as well.
Strahm was one of the most consistent and dominant relief pitchers for the Phillies last season in 2024, and hopes to continue his greatness this year. With that, Strahm looked good in his appearances so far, but has had a little trouble with his control. Yes, he hasn’t given up an earned run this year, but in one inning tonight, Strahm threw a total of thirty pitches (sixteen being strikes). If he can bring down and locate his fastball, he will be heavily relied on down the stretch. He also missed all of Spring Training with numerous injuries, so Strahm is getting back into the swing of things.
On the other hand, Alvarado has looked incredible all throughout Spring and into this year. He struck out two of three batters and finished the game with only thirteen pitches. This year is most definitely a defining year for the lefty.
Overall, the bullpen has looked up to par, or even better. Though they have more to prove, they have made a great first impression on the season.
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Luke Raidy
Luke has covering the the Flyers and Phillies for Philly Sports Reports since 2025. He is a junior at North Penn and being a huge Philly sports fan has brought so many experiences, such as going to the NLDS, NLCS, and even the World Series in 2022. He has also met former superstars in the city of Philadelphia, such as Wayne Simmonds from the Flyers. Though being a student-athlete, Luke enjoys his time where he is writing and reporting on Philadelphia sports.
