Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber slug, rest of Phillies go quiet against Angels

Coming out of the All-Star break, the Phillies got exactly what they needed from their two stars.

Kyle Schwarber mashed following his heroic All-Star performance, and following his wrist injury, Bryce Harper is back to being Bryce Harper.

Both mashed in the three-game series against the Angels. Schwarber had two home runs, including a grand slam on Saturday, along with Harper recording 16 total bases and six RBIs.

When your two stars perform like that over a three-game stretch, you would expect some others in the lineup to pitch in and the team, at the minimum, to win the series.

Think again.

The Phillies lost two-of-three to the Angels in front of 128,222 fans this weekend at Citizens Bank Park. They have now lost three straight series, and are 20-21 since June 1.

Yes, they did not get great starting pitching. Jesus Luzardo continued to struggle, as he has over the past few months. Taijuan Walker allowed nine hits in four innings, and Ranger Suarez had his second straight subpar start.

However, the Phillies’ offense recorded 10 extra-base hits in the series. Eight of them came from Harper and Schwarber.

The other two were a double in the left-center field gap from J.T. Realmuto on his bobblehead night Friday night, and a solo opposite-field homer by Otto Kemp on Sunday when the game was practically out of reach.

The Phils hit just two balls in the air in their 8-2 loss Sunday: a single from Schwarber and Kemp’s homer. The Phillies hit into 19 ground ball outs on Sunday, as well.

As Nick Sirianni has famously said, “You can’t be great without the greatness of others.” The only greatness, or even exemplary hitting, in this series came from Harper and Schwarber. No one is going to win games when seven hitters in your lineup are MIA for the entirety of a series.

The Phillies, perhaps, got a look at some help they could bring in at the trade deadline, which is just 11 days away. Taylor Ward in Philadelphia this weekend went 5-12 with two home runs, eight RBIs, and three doubles. He drove the ball to all fields, and certainly put on an impressive audition if the Phils have interest in him.

Ward, a 31-year-old potential rental right-handed outfielder, would certainly help out their depleted outfield, which went 3-for-24, good for a .125 average, with 2 RBIs. However, if the Angels, who are now just one game under .500, hang around in the AL Wild Card by the deadline, Ward could become unavailable.

But after an offensive showing like this, the Phils may need help in any way they can get it.

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