No More April Showers — Series Preview: Phillies at Cardinals, April 11 – 13

After a long night at Tuist Park on Thursday that bled into Friday morning, the Phillies are entering St. Louis to face off against the Cardinals in a three-game weekend series. And don’t worry, folks, the forecast is clear this time.

Unlike we have seen in years past, the Cardinals are no longer the team to fear in the NL Central. With the aging and eventual retirement of many of their core players from the early 2010s, depth has not been the Cardinals’ strong suit over the past few seasons. Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas, 35 and 36 years old, respectively, are leading the Redbirds’ rotation. Their offense, despite having a few key pieces like Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras, has ample gaps.

So if the Phillies’ offensive struggles against the Braves were any indicator that they may be at the beginning of a slump at the plate, then this series should give them a chance to climb out of this hole before they end up deeper than they’d like to be.

Jump on the Starters

If the Phillies’ offense is going to break out, it could very well happen against the Cardinals’ starting rotation. Unfortunately, there’s no way to put this lightly: Miles Mikolas, who’s set to get the start on Saturday, got obliterated in his last start. The Red Sox tagged the righty for 11 hits and eight runs in just 2.2 innings on April 6, skyrocketing his season ERA to 11.25.

Likewise, southpaw Matthew Liberatore, a once-highly-touted prospect, has yet to find consistent success in the Majors. Last season, Liberatore pitched primarily out of the bullpen, where he posted a 4.40 ERA in 86 innings, making the occasional spot start. This season, however, Liberatore has a defined spot in the rotation. In his two starts so far, he has been extremely efficient but also susceptible to hard contact, leaving a little bit too much over the plate.

What to do with Alec Bohm

Alec Bohm is frustrated, fans are frustrated, and nobody knows what to do. The Phillies’ third baseman has struggled immensely thus far in 2025, and with Edmundo Sosa starting off his season on a tear, continuing to leave Bohm in the lineup will become harder and harder to justify. Coming into the series, Bohm has just three hits in his last 31 at-bats, and he has struck out seven times in his last seven games. His plate discipline is basically nonexistent, having drawn only one walk in his first 51 plate appearances this season. Long story short, he’s getting pitches to hit, and he’s failing to do damage.

Meanwhile, Edmundo Sosa has been unstoppable, regardless of whether he is in the infield or the outfield. He made highlight reels earlier this week when he robbed Braves’ slugger Marcell Ozuna of a home run.

Oh, wait. Did I mention that Sosa was making his first career start in the outfield? And it was the first inning!

Sosa has also been a nearly unstoppable force at the plate. In 25 plate appearances, Sosa has 11 hits, a walk, six RBI, and an impressive 1.105 OPS.

Of course, Alec Bohm will continue to get the majority of starts at third base for the foreseeable future. At the end of the day, he was the starting third baseman for the NL All-Star team less than one year ago. Rob Thomson—despite having moved him down in the batting order—has reinforced his confidence in Bohm in front of the media. However, if his struggles continue, a hard conversation may need to occur.

Game Times and Broadcasts

Friday, April 11, 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia +, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Saturday, April 12, 2:15 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia +, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Sunday, April 13, 2:15 p.m. ET, NBC 10, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Probable Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Aaron Nola (RHP, 0-2, 6.35 ERA) vs. Andre Pallante (RHP, 1-0, 3.86 ERA)

Game 2: Cristopher Sanchez (LHP, 0-0, 4.09 ERA) vs. Miles Mikolas (RHP, 0-1, 11.25 ERA)

Game 3: Zack Wheeler (RHP, 1-0, 3.44 ERA) vs Matthew Liberatore (LHP, 0-1, 5.84 ERA)

By the Numbers

• Records
• Phillies: 8-4
• Cardinals: 5-7

• Run Differential 
• Phillies: 13
• Cardinals: -2

• Runs Scored Per Game 
• Phillies: 4.67
• Cardinals: 6.00

• Runs Allowed Per Game 
• Phillies: 3.58
• Cardinals 6.17

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