If you had said that the Phillies would go 5-5 against three of the best teams in the National League in a two-week span, most Phillies fans would have been ecstatic. Though the Phillies lost a series and tied another, the Phillies went toe-to-toe with some of the league’s best, and came through at .500 (minus the series loss against the Cardinals in between).
But this two week stretch of Phillies games felt eerily similar to last season’s Phillies, at least post-All Star break. If you recall, the Phillies finished a disappointing 33-33 after the All Star break in 2024. Over the past two weeks, the Phillies may have finished .500, but the losses felt more damning than the wins felt vindicating.
The losses exposed some hard truths about this team, ones that we discuss ad nauseum. First, the outfield is a barren wasteland at the plate (outside of Nick Castellanos). Johan Rojas is not a major league hitter. With the amount of time the Phillies have spent giving him plate appearances, I’m not sure he ever will be. Brandon Marsh has been even worse. Second, the rotation is not as good as everyone thought, at least not until Ranger Suarez returns and Aaron Nola gets right.
This series should be a good chance for everyone to get right. The Marlins are currently 3rd in the NL East at 8-10, just 2.5 games back from the Phillies, though they’re likely not as good as their record indicates.
Their pitching is fine, headlined by a healthy Sandy Alcantara, who will face off against Zack Wheeler on Friday’s game. The second game will feature Cal Quantrill who will have the opportunity to face Taijuan Walker. Finally, Connor Gillispie will see Jesus Luzardo. The Marlines also have better bats than expected this season, led by First Baseman Matt Mervis, who already has 6 HRs this season.
They are the perfect get right team. The Phillies should be able to stifle bats that are hotter than they should be with two of their best pitchers set to see the Marlins. While the Marlins rotation is fine, the Phillies should be able to score runs.
Win games. Get right.
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