Back From The Break—Series Preview: Angels at Phillies, July 18-20

We are officially in the second half of the 2025 season.

After an exciting All-Star break, which saw designated hitter Kyle Schwarber take home the All-Star Game MVP, the Philadelphia Phillies are set to begin the final two and a half months of the 2025 regular season.

The Phillies currently sit at 55-41 overall and are atop the National League East and in third place in the entire National League. They currently have over a 90% chance of making the postseason and are the fourth favorites to win the World Series.

However, this team has flaws, and because of them, they haven’t been able to pull away from the Mets in the division or take firm positioning as the best team in all of baseball. From their inability to hit with runners on base to having no good pitching in the bullpen, the Phillies have major holes to fill.

Their first test to get on track is against the Los Angeles Angels, a team led by New Jersey native and Philadelphia sports fan Mike Trout. Trout and company have put themselves in a weird spot, as they find themselves with a 47-49 record and well in the American League Wild Card race.

The Phillies have to start the second half strong, and they need to do that against a team that they are better than in front of their fans. Will improvements be made, or will the Phillies continue to play down to their competition?

Is The Hitting Season Coming?

One of the main issues in the first half has been the poor offensive numbers that the Phillies have posted. Hitting is down, and the offense has seen a huge dip in production during the first half of this season compared to the first half of last season. They have scored 39 fewer runs, they have hit 16 fewer home runs, and the team average is down five points.

However, the huge problem is the team’s inability to hit with runners on base. They’ve left 696 runners on base and are hitting .203 with bases loaded this season. The clutch gene of knocking runners in when they get on has not been the same this season, and because of it, the Phillies are failing to provide run support for their outstanding starting pitching.

They have been shut out six times this year, which is already more than the entirety of last season, and have scored one run or fewer 17 times this year, which is the same number as all of last season. The team has its high moment when they’re swinging well and the runs are coming, but this year still isn’t the same. The warm months of summer are dwindling, and if they want to salvage the rest of the hitting weather, they need to start putting up some runs.

Please Help The Bullpen

While the offense has been bad, the Phillies’ bullpen has been even worse somehow. After losing back-end bullpen arms Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez to free agency, the Phillies went into the 2025 season with an already weak bullpen. Add to that losing stud left-hander Jose Alvarado to an 80-game suspension for PEDs, making him ineligible for the postseason. So now three of their top relievers from last postseason will not be on the team if they make it back to Red October.

This year, the Philies’ bullpen has posted a 4.35 ERA, the eighth worst in all of baseball, and has recorded just 294 strikeouts, which is the fifth least. They’ve blown 17 saves this season, which is tied for the fourth most, and we have multiple relievers with over a five ERA.

With the trade deadline just under two weeks away, the Phillies need bullpen arms fast. They don’t have long until the postseason gets here, and they need to know which guys can hang and which ones are done. The starting pitching is as great as it can be and should get better with Aaron Nola expected back soon, but they can only do so much. The bullpen has been a big issue with this team over the past couple of years, and if the Phillies want to win, they need help.

Game Times and Broadcasts

Friday, July 18, 6:45 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Saturday, July 19, 6:05 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Sunday, July 20, 1:35 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP, WTTM 1680

Probable Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Jesús Luzardo (LHP, 8-5, 4.14 ERA) vs. Jose Soriano (RHP, 6-7, 3.90 ERA)

Game 2: Taijuan Walker (RHP, 3-5, 3.55 ERA) vs. Tyler Anderson (LHP, 2-6, 4.34 ERA)

Game 3: Ranger Suarez (LHP, 7-3, 1.94 ERA) vs. Yusei Kikuchi (LHP, 4-6, 3.11 ERA)

By the Numbers

• Records
• Phillies: 55-41
• Angels: 47-49

• Run Differential 
• Phillies: 63
• Angels: -62

• Runs Scored Per Game 
• Phillies: 4.56
• Angels: 4.35

• Runs Allowed Per Game 
• Phillies: 3.91
• Angels: 5

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