Phillies Fall To Angels 6-5 In First Game Out Of All-Star Break
Jul 18, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first base Bryce Harper (3) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a three RBI home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Phillies baseball is back, but it’s not going the way they hope.
After four days off for the All-Star break, the Philadelphia Phillies were unable to get a win streak going, as they fell to the Los Angeles Angels 6-5. The Phillies went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, and scored just one run after the third inning.
Bryce Harper had an impressive night, smacking two home runs, a solo and a three-run shot, and added a double for three extra-base hits and four total RBIs. A home run from Kyle Schwarber provided the Phillies with their other run.
Jesús Luzardo was on the mound and despite striking out seven batters, struggled to navigate through his innings of work, allowing two home runs and four total earned runs.
While he struggled, Luzardo got to work right away, getting back-to-back groundouts for the first two outs in the first, and then struck New Jersey native and Philadelphia sports fan Mike Trout on four pitches. In the bottom half of the first, reigning All-Star Game MVP Schwarber picked up right where he left off, smoking a solo shot to right field.
A Harper strikeout and an Alec Bohm groundout ended that inning, but in the top of the second, the Angels answered back. Jorge Soler stepped into the box with two outs and smoked a first-pitch fastball deep to left field to tie the game at one. Former Phillies’ prospect Logan O’Hoppe singled following the Soler homer, but Luzardo sent Luis Rengifo down on strikes to end the inning.
Nick Castellanos walked to lead off the bottom of the second, and J.T. Realmuto singled to put two runners on with one out. However, up came Max Kepler, who smacked a weak grounder back to Angels pitcher Jake Eder for an inning-ending double play.
Luzardo worked around a walk to Zach Neto, getting his own inning-ending double play off the bat of Nolan Schanuel. In the bottom half of the inning, a single by Trea Turner and a four-pitch walk to Schwarber sent Harper up to the plate with two runners on. Harper worked the count and smoked a hanging slider into the right field seats for a three-run home run.
Down three runs, the Angels answered back thanks to a couple of extra-base hits. Trout led off the fourth with a double down the left field line, and after a Taylor Ward strikeout, Jo Adell stepped up and smacked a two-run home run to center to make it a one-run game.
In the bottom of the fourth, Realmuto doubled to lead off the inning, but a flyout from Kepler and groundouts from Bryson Stott and Turner prevented him from scoring. Luzardo picked up another strikeout to start the fifth, but singles from Kevin Newman and Schanuel put runners on the corners for Trout. Trout then stepped in and smoked a single to center to tie the game at four.
Luzardo then walked Ward to load the bases, and Phillies manager Rob Thomson had seen enough, pulling him after 4.2 innings. Max Lazar came on in relief and was able to get Adell to ground into a force out to end the inning.
In the bottom half of the inning, Harper smoked a double to the center field wall for his second extra-base hit of the night, but back-to-back groundouts prevented the Phillies from taking the lead. Both teams went scoreless in the sixth, but in the top of the seventh, the Angels used the long ball again, this time to take their first lead.
Tanner Banks was on in relief, and got Neto to line out and Trout to strike out, but walked the lefty Schanuel to bring up Ward. Ward smoked a sweeper to left field for a two-run bomb to make it 6-4 Angels.
Reid Detmers came on in relief for the Angels in the bottom of the seventh and sent the Phillies down in order. In the top of the eighth, Daniel Robert came on in relief for the Phillies. He picked up a quick out, getting Soler to line out, but O’Hoppe tripled to center field, putting a runner on third with one out. Robert locked in, sending Rengifo and Newson down on strikes to get out of the inning unscathed.
Harper kicked off the bottom of the eighth in a big way, lifting a long fly ball to left field for a solo home run, his second homer and third extra-base hit of the game. The home run made it a one-run game, but groundouts from Bohm and Castellanos, plus a strikeout from Marsh, ended the eighth.
Joe Ross was the next man out of the bullpen for the Phillies, and he instantly allowed a double to Neto. Schanuel grounded out to shortstop to move Neto over to third, but Ross picked up back-to-back strikeouts to keep it a one-run game.
Down to their last at-bats, Realmuto and Kepler both flew out to center for two quick outs. With Edmundo Sosa up as the last chance for the Phillies, Angels closer Kenley Jansen got Sosa to ground out to second to end the game, with Los Angeles winning 6-5.
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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