Wheels Up and Maybe Mix It Up? — Series Preview: Cubs at Phillies, June 9-11
Apr 26, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Max Kepler (17) hits an RBI-single against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
In back-to-back weekends, the Phillies have been swept. Last weekend, it was the Brewers who battled the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park for a three-game sweep. This weekend, it was the Pirates, who currently sit at the bottom of the NL Central, sweeping the Phillies out of their town.
The Phillies have won just a single game in their last 10. It was against the Blue Jays in the series opener. They are batting .189 in those games with an ERA of 5.94.
It has been brutal.
Stability in the rotation was tinkered with when Zack Wheeler went on the paternity list and Mick Abel got called up. On Friday, they went with a bullpen game — something they haven’t done since last September when they lost 10-4 to the Cubs.
The offense has been a mess, scoring only one run in four of their last five games. Bryce Harper missed time last weekend after being hit in the elbow by Spencer Strider, and it was assumed all would be well when he returned in the Toronto series. Harper homered in his first at-bat back, but then went hitless. He was placed on the 10-day injured list this weekend with a lingering wrist injury.
The wheels have been falling apart since the end of the Braves series.
However, there is good news. Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez held their own this weekend, providing an anchor in the middle of the rotation. Since Jesus Luzardo has posted a few bad starts, it’s promising to see the other lefty starters perform well.
The Phillies return home for an early week series against the Chicago Cubs, who are atop the NL Central. In April, the Phils took a series win over at Wrigley in dramatic fashion with an extra-inning victory. Aaron Nola threw seven innings of one-run baseball to put in perspective how long ago that was. The Cubs have gone 23-13 since that series, giving them a 3.5 game lead on the Cardinals for the NL Central lead.
For the Phils to break their losing streak of games and series, they will need to do a few things:
Ride the Wheels
Wheeler has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this year. If it weren’t for two starts against the Braves, he probably is the best pitcher in the National League so far. Every fifth day, with the exception of his recent paternity leave, Wheeler takes the ball and gives his team a quality start. In seven of his last eight starts, he’s only given up two runs or fewer.
So what better time to break a losing streak than behind their best pitcher in a series opener?
The Phillies’ offense needs to provide him early run support, though even if they don’t, Wheeler will give his team plenty of pitching support. As the headline says: Ride the Wheels; Let Wheeler do what he does best, and the offense should only need to put a few across to secure a win in the series opener.
It would be a pleasant turnaround from the weekend if Wheeler posts 6+ innings of shutout baseball and the offense is there for the ride.
Mix It Up
After the Pirates swept the Phillies out of town, Rob Thomson told the media he’s been “thinking about some things” in regards to the lineup, per Luke Arcaini of Crossing Broad.
With the absence of Harper, the Phillies lost an anchor in the three-hole (or two-hole against lefties), and the offense has been stagnant, so perhaps it’s time for a lineup shake-up.
The last time Thomson shook things up, it worked pretty well. Harper gained protection with Kyle Schwarber batting behind him, and Bryson Stott got moved to leadoff. Stott batted well for a good bit with his new role, but has since been dormant. Additionally, centerfield has had little to no answers as Brandon Marsh has been awful at the plate and in the outfield, and Johan Rojas has been nothing better.
This “thinking” that Thomson has been doing will likely be revealed with Monday’s lineup, but for speculation purposes, let’s brainstorm what changes could be made.
It would be good to see Stott moved out of the leadoff spot. He’s a good hitter and posts quality at-bats at a high rate, but lately has not been doing so. Perhaps a change in scenery could be useful for him to get back in rhythm.
With that said, Schwarber may see more at-bats back at leadoff, especially with Harper’s absence. He was originally moved out of leadoff because he was so successful, and Harper needed protection in the lineup. The Phillies have sustained more success with Schwarber at leadoff, where he was in 2022, 2023, and most of 2024.
There may not be many things Thomson can do to get his team hitting, but a change in lineup cannot make them much worse than they are right now.
Game Times and Broadcasts
Monday, June 9, 6:45 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680
Tuesday, June 10, 6:45 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680
Wednesday, June 11, 1:05 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBC10, MLB Network (out-of-market only), 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680
Probable Pitching Matchups
Game 1: Zack Wheeler (RHP, 6-2, 2.96 ERA) vs. Matthew Boyd (LHP, 5-3, 3.01 ERA)
Game 2: Mick Abel (RHP, 1-0, 0.79 ERA) vs. Colin Rea (RHP, 4-2, 3.59 ERA)
Game 3: Jesus Luzardo (LHP, 5-2, 4.46 ERA) vs. Ben Brown (RHP, 3-4, 5.37 ERA)
By the Numbers
- Records
- Phillies: 37-28
- Cubs: 40-25
- Run Differential
- Phillies: 15
- Cubs: 105
- Runs Scored Per Game
- Phillies: 4.57
- Cubs: 5.58
- Runs Allowed Per Game
- Phillies: 4.34
- Cubs: 3.97
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Sean Regenye
Sean Regenye is a sophomore broadcast journalism major at Penn State University. He is a die-hard Philly sports fan and loves baseball, especially the Phillies.
