Shake Off The Sweep — Series Preview: Phillies at Blue Jays, June 3-5

Let’s act like this past weekend didn’t happen.

The Phillies are coming off one of their worst stretches all season after getting blown out in their series finale against the Braves and being swept at home by the Brewers. It’s the first time the Fightin’s have been swept at home since July of last year.

It’s been a disappointing last few days for the Phillies, as the overall mojo of the team seems to have been lost. The vibes are down, games are getting out of control quickly, and it feels like the team is sleepwalking through games. The Blue Jays aren’t the worst team to be playing to break this funk, as they’ve sat around .500 for the majority of the season, but it’s not going to be easy. The Phillies seem to eventually hit their stride, but this year it hasn’t felt like this team has gotten anywhere close, especially on the offensive side.

This season alone, Philadelphia has left 435 runners on base, which ranks No. 1 in the National League. While the home run or bust mentality is often how the Phillies play, not being able to score the majority of their baserunners has been a problem. The situational hitting has been terrible, and since they’re not homering as much, it’s causing the number of baserunners left on base to increase. This lineup and the team overall are in deep need of a shakeup, and thankfully, they’re getting that on both sides of the team.

The Showman Is Back

The big difference for the offense is the return of the Phillies’ star player, Bryce Harper. Harper has been out since last Tuesday after being drilled in the elbow by a 95-mph fastball from Spencer Strider. The pitch hit Harper’s formally surgically repaired elbow, and while it didn’t directly hit the elbow, Harper took the week off, but is expected back for the opener in Toronto.

Harper is needed back for a multitude of reasons. His presence in the lineup helps not only the batters batting around him, but also it helps the whole team, as the mere threat of Harper can completely change how a game is played.

Because of Harper’s absence, guys like Alec Bohm have been moved up in the order, and bench players like Edmundo Sosa and Weston Wilson have been forced to play every day. They’re not bad, but Bohm has thrived at the bottom of the order this season, and that continued to be true after the past week, and Sosa and Wilson have shown that they are indeed bench players.

Return Of The Mick

Along with Harper, another big piece is back in the clubhouse for the series.

After debuting back in mid-May, Phillies No. 8 Prospect Mick Abel will rejoin the Phillies in Toronto this time, not staying for just one start. With injuries to Aaron Nola and struggling starts from Taijuan Walker, the Phillies have decided to move Walker to the bullpen and give Abel a shot to remain in the rotation moving forward.

At just 23 years old, Abel impressed many in his first career start back on May 18 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, outdueling star right-hander, and to some, the best pitcher in baseball, Paul Skenes. Abel tossed six shutout innings, striking out nine batters and allowing just five hits.

Probably the most impressive stat from that start was the 16 swings and misses from Abel. His fastball looked outstanding, reaching the high nineties on the majority of pitches and especially on strikeouts. On top of that, his slider movement was possibly the best it’s been.

2024 was a disappointing year for Abel, as he struggled in Triple-A, posting a 6.46 ERA on the season. It looked like the once first-round pick wasn’t as great as fans hoped he was. However, the tides may be changing, and now Abel is getting his first real shot to remain in the show.

Game Times and Broadcasts

Tuesday, June 3, 7:07 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Wednesday, June 4, 7:07 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Thursday, June 5, 3:07 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Probable Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Cristopher Sanchez (LHP, 4-1, 3.32 ERA) vs. Bowden Francis (RHP, 0-2, 5.79 ERA)

Game 2: Mick Abel (RHP, 1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Jose Berrios (RHP, 2-2, 3.86 ERA)

Game 3: Jesus Luzardo (LHP, 5-1, 3.58 ERA) vs. Chris Bassitt (RHP, 5-3, 3.80 ERA)

By the Numbers

• Records
• Phillies: 36-23
• Blue Jays: 31-28

• Run Differential 
• Phillies: 22
• Blue Jays: -5

• Runs Scored Per Game 
• Phillies: 4.76
• Blue Jays: 4.20

• Runs Allowed Per Game 
• Phillies: 4.39
• Blue Jays: 4.29

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