Onto A New Month — Series Preview: Padres at Phillies, June 30-July 2

It was an ugly road trip, but somehow the Phillies managed to increase their lead in the National League East.

The Phillies bounced back after being swept by the Houston Astros by taking two of three games against their rival, the Atlanta Braves. After a dominant win Friday night and an annoying Saturday night loss, they pulled out a griddy 2-1 victory in the rubber match to head back to Philadelphia with a win. They now shift their focus to a team with which they have quite a history, the San Diego Padres.

Back in 2022, the Phillies were matched up with the Padres in the NLCS and handily defeated them in five games. Since then, the Phillies are 10-3 against the Padres and will look to continue that hot streak when the Friars travel to the City of Brotherly Love for a three-game series.

Return Of The Showman, Again?

Bryce Harper is once again set to make his return from the injured list due to a nagging wrist injury. Harper has been out since June 6th, and since then, the Phillies’ offense has been very inconsistent, and because of that, they’ve gone 12-10 over that span.

Now that is still a good record over that time, when you factor in that they’re without their best hitter, it’s a miracle that they’ve found a way to jump the Mets in the division race. But despite the terrible play from the Mets, the Phillies need to get back to their explosive offensive ways, and Harper reentering this lineup is just the thing.

It will be interesting to see how Phillies’ manager Rob Thomson puts together the lineup going forward, as Alec Bohm has continued to thrive in the three-hole behind Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner. Harper will likely slide back in the two spot, and Schwarber will fall to the cleanup spot.

Kepler’s Last Chance

It’s no secret that Max Kepler‘s time with the Phillies has been nothing short of disappointing. This season, Kepler is batting .207 (the eighth-worst average in all of baseball) with a .302 on-base percentage and .676 OPS. The average being bad is one thing, but the lack of offense in other spots is the real issue.

He has nine home runs and only 28 RBIs on the year, which isn’t exactly the big offensive boost the Phillies hoped they were getting when they signed him in free agency. He agreed as well, but while saying his play could’ve been better and trying to improve, he instead shifted the blame for his lack of playing time to his struggles.

To the media following the Phillies’ third straight loss to the Astros, Kepler voiced his opinion on his reasoning for coming to Philadelphia. “I mean, I signed here being told that I was going to be the starting left fielder,” Kepler said. “The everyday starting left fielder. So, there’s my answer. That’s why I came here.”

Kepler has started only three of 24 games against left-handed starters this year, while he’s started all 60 games against right-handers. Is this justified for Kepler to blame his struggles, or has he truly just regressed this year? Either way, with less than a month until the trade deadline, Kepler’s time may be coming to an end, and a possible DFA could be coming in his future. Whether it’s to call up top outfield prospect Justin Crawford or make an outside trade, if Kepler doesn’t show improvement, he could be on his way out.

Game Times and Broadcasts

Monday, June 30, 6:35 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Tuesday, July 1, 6:35 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Wednesday, July 2, 1:05 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Probable Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Zack Wheeler (RHP, 7-3, 2.45 ERA) vs. Matt Waldron (RHP, season Debut)

Game 2: Cristopher Sanchez (LHP, 6-2, 2.79 ERA) vs. Nick Pivetta (RHP, 8-2, 3.36 ERA)

Game 3: Mick Abel (RHP, 2-1, 3.47 ERA) vs. Dylan Cease (RHP, 3-7, 4.53 ERA

By the Numbers

Records
Phillies: 49-35
Padres: 45-38

Run Differential
Phillies: 46
Padres: 17

Runs Scored Per Game
Phillies: 4.63
Padres: 4.18

Runs Allowed Per Game
Phillies: 4.08
Padres: 3.96

Matt Brown

Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.

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