The Padres are In: Padres vs. Phillies Series Preview, June 2-4

You know what’s not in: scoring runs.

As the Philadelphia Phillies turn the page into June, they currently sit at a 30-29 record, 1.5 games back of a wild card spot and nearly 10 games behind the Atlanta Braves and the top spot of the National League East. While it’s only the second day of June for the Phillies, the division might not be in the cards for 2026, and they now shift their focus to a loaded National League wild card scene.

The top wild card spot is held by none other than the San Diego Padres, who have somewhat floundered their previous big lead for the top spot, losing six of their last seven games, including a three-game sweep at home from the Phillies.

Another sweep of San Diego would be huge for the Phillies, but their focus has to be solving their offensive issues before it’s too late into the season. Facing the two starting pitchers they just faced last week has to be an advantage for the Phillies, who had one of their worst offensive months this core has ever endured.

May’s Woes Are Finally Past

To put it lightly, the month of May was a disaster hitting-wise for the Phillies. The Phillies combined for a .220 batting average in May, which ranked 26th in all of baseball. Their on-base percentage was an even worse .281, which ranked 29th in baseball, and their .667 OPS, while better, still ranked just 24th in the league.

Despite all of that, and the fact that they haven’t scored more than four runs in over two weeks, the Phillies still went 18-10 in May, which was the fourth-best record in baseball during that month.

Now their offense wasn’t the main reason for that, as they had five players bat under .200, and Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh were the only two Phillies to bat over .260. They hit 38 home runs, which ranked seventh in the league, but there’s only so much home runs can do when nobody is on base.

Look, the Phillies have climbed all the way from 10 games under .500 to a positive record on the season and have kept themselves in the thick of the loaded National League playoff race. However, the offense needs to pick up the slack and get back to being the Phillies of old, who can post 10+ runs when they feel like it.

Summer is right around the corner, and former Phillies manager Charlie Manuel calls this time of year “hittin’ season.” If things don’t change soon, Dave Dombrowksi and co. will have some tough calls to make at this year’s trade deadline.

June Schwarber?

One good thing about the weather heating up and the calendar flipping to June has to be the return of June Kyle Schwarber.

Schwarber has hit 67 home runs in the month of June during his career, the most of any month he’s played in, and month-wise, June has his best batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS.

Every year around this time is when the unofficial start of “Schwarberfest,” the play on Wawa’s Hoagiefest, where Schwarber just mashes opposing pitchers in the warm months. This season, Schwarber already leads the majors in homers with 22 and is well on pace to pass last season’s mark of 56 bombs and hit somewhere between 65 and 67 dingers.

If Schwarber wants any chance of potentially catching Barry Bonds‘ record of 73 homers, he needs to get off to a good start in June, and fast. His offensive numbers this season have been a huge reason why the Phillies haven’t fallen off a cliff, as the team relies on him and Bryce Harper to carry the load when needed. June Schwarber is needed, and is needed soon.

Another Sanchez Start For More History

The brightest part of the 2026 Phillies has been the dominant pitching from left-handed ace Cristopher Sanchez. Sanchez is coming off a superstar breakout 2025, and this season has seen almost no drop from the big lefty. I mean, in all honesty, he’s pitching better right now than at any point last season.

Sanchez currently has tossed 44.2 consecutive scoreless innings, passing Grover Alexander Cleveland Alexander for the Phillies franchise record, a record that has held up for over 100 years. His 44.2 innings currently rank him seventh all-time, and all of a sudden, Orel Hershiser‘s 59-inning scoreless innings streak from 1988 actually seems beatable.

If Sanchez can post seven innings of no-run baseball in each of his next two starts, which he’s done in each of his last five starts, he’ll get to 58.2 innings. That would put him just one out behind Hershiser, and then he’d either need to throw an extra inning in a start to pass Hershiser or wait until his next start to pass him.

Wednesday night, Sanchez will take the bump against the Padres for a second straight start, and in San Diego, he tossed seven innings, giving up six hits, but striking out nine and walking zero. Facing a team for the second time in less than a week isn’t an easy thing, but if anyone can keep a scoreless streak going, it’s Sanchez.

Games Times and Broadcasts

Tuesday, June 2, 6:40 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, TBS, 94.1 WIP

Wednesday, June 3, 6:40 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 94.1 WIP

Thursday, June 4, 1:05 p.m. ET, NBC 10, 94.1 WIP

Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Aaron Nola (RHP, 3-4, 5.72 ERA) vs. Randy Vasquez (RHP, 5-3, 3.28 ERA)

Game 2: Cristopher Sanchez (LHP,6-2, 1.47 ERA) vs. Walker Buehler (3-3, 4.88 ERA)

Game 3: Zack Wheeler (RHP 4-1, 2.27 ERA) vs. Lucas Giolito (2-0, 4.97 ERA)

By the Numbers

• Record
  • Phillies: 30-29
  • Padres: 32-26
• Run Differential
  • Phillies: -26
  • Padres: -6
• Runs Scored Per Game
  • Philles: 3.90
  • Padres: 3.91
• Runs Allowed Per Game
  • Phillies: 4.34
  • Padres: 4.02

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