Memorial Day Weekend at the Bank: Guardians vs. Phillies Series Preview, May 22-24

The Phillies finish out their six-game homestand playing against the other side of Ohio: the Cleveland Guardians. After losing their first series under interim manager Don Mattingly to the Cincinnati Reds, they will now look to bounce back against the best team in the American League Central.

But one series shouldn’t break down this club. The Phillies have won six out of seven series with Mattingly at the helm, and the goal is to just keep the ball rolling. On paper, the Guardians are a better team, so keeping the momentum they have right now will help them push their way to another series victory. 

A Quiet Winter in Cleveland

The Guardians aren’t usually a team that will make a splash for a big free agent or trade, as they rely on their farm system, which was worked out for them in their favor. They have produced top prospects such as Travis Bazzana, Chase DeLauter, and George Valera, who have performed efficiently at the major league level.

So for that reason, Cleveland didn’t do much in the offseason. Their biggest free-agent signing was Shawn Armstrong on a one-year, $5 million contract. Their biggest move was extending their franchise cornerstone, Jose Ramirez, keeping him in Cleveland for the next seven seasons. They recently made a big splash earlier in May, trading for gold glove catcher Patrick Bailey from the San Fransico Giants.

An Old Friend Returns

It took until spring training for Rhys Hoskins to get a contract, and all he got was a minor league deal with Cleveland. Despite that, he was able to break camp with the Guardians as a power and depth bat off the bench whenever needed. 

Hoskins is primarily playing first base and designated hitting for the Guardians, but he isn’t having the best season. In 38 games so far, he’s only hitting .188 with four long balls and a WAR just creeping above zero at 0.1.

But he loves hitting against the Phillies. Since leaving them after the 2023 season, he has eight hits, four home runs, and eight RBI’s in nine games played against Philadelphia, with three of his four home runs at Citizens Bank Park. Hoskins will receive a warm welcome back, but he can make the Phillies pay if they leave a bad pitch over the plate. 

Offense has to Get Back on Track

During this run the Phillies have been on, it hasn’t just been the pitching getting them through games; the offense is a major factor. When the lineup is clicking from top to bottom, the Phillies can pull off a big inning and put the game out of reach. Early in the year, the Phillies struggled with that, but they have improved a lot since Donnie Baseball took over. 

Cleveland’s pitching staff is able to go deep into games and limit mistakes. If the Phillies are patient, they can force the starters to work through long innings, which gets to their bullpen faster. The last two games against the Reds brought back the Phillies’ offensive struggles, but they can show that it is easy to break out of. With the return of Kyle Schwarber following an illness that held him out the entire Reds series, he and Bryce Harper help set the tone for the rest of the lineup.

Games Times and Broadcasts

Friday, May 22, 6:40 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP

Saturday, May 23, 4:05 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP

Sunday, May 24, 1:35 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP

Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Cristopher Sanchez (LHP, 5-2, 1.82 ERA) vs. Gavin Williams (RHP, 6-3, 3.67 ERA)

Game 2: Zack Wheeler (RHP, 3-0, 1.99 ERA)  vs. Slade Cecconi (RHP, 3-4, 5.16 ERA)

Game 3: Andrew Painter (RHP, 1-4, 5.77 ERA) vs. Parker Messick (LHP, 5-1, 2.45 ERA)

By the Numbers

• Record
  • Phillies: 25-25
  • Guardians: 30-22
• Run Differential
  • Phillies: -24
  • Guardians: +23
• Runs Scored Per Game
  • Philles: 4.18
  • Guardians: 4.41
• Runs Allowed Per Game
  • Phillies: 4.66
  • Guardians: 4.00

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