The Phillies Had An Encouraging Series In Atlanta
The Phillies didn’t get a chance to spend Memorial Day Weekend down the shore or by the pool; they had obligations in Atlanta with a daunting 4 game series against the NL East-leading Braves on the schedule. With the way the Phils’ season has started, there weren’t exactly grand expectations for their first series with the Braves, and yet, there was still some cautious optimism that the guys could figure something out and compete with one of the better teams in baseball right now. Well, it wasn’t anything that should blow current expectations out of the water, but Rob Thomson’s squad showed some very encouraging signs over the 4 games against the Braves. Consistency is still a question, but the biggest thing to take away from this most recent series? The Phillies can absolutely play with the top-level competition in baseball.
Ending the 4-game series in an even split, the Phillies were able to take the middle 2 games to even give themselves a look at a series win this past Sunday. Unfortunately, Spencer Strider was dominant in that game, but the Phils came out of their series in Atlanta looking like they still have the ceiling we thought they had. Neither of the wins were blowouts, and Sunday’s game was hugely in favor of the Braves with an 11-4 final, but Thursday’s 8-5 loss was a tight game most of the way. They were high-intensity contests with some of the best baseball players on the planet right now showing up in a big early-season series, and the Phillies weren’t outmatched. It should be encouraging for this fan base to see their time rise to the moment despite some early struggles this year.
Not only did the team show some flashes of high-level baseball, but some individual players did as well. Taijuan Walker had an opportunity to make up for his early season shortcomings and went out and threw 6.2 innings of 3-run ball. He surrendered 10 hits, but danced out of danger against a tough Braves lineup, giving the Phils the chance to win 6-4. Zack Wheeler threw an absolute gem on Saturday going 8 shutout innings and allowing only 3 hits. It was the best start of the season for anyone in a Phillies uniform, and it was a much-needed breakthrough for Wheeler. The offense wasn’t exceptional, but averaging nearly 8 hits a game over 4 games in Atlanta shows that they weren’t totally dormant either. No individuals stood out at the plate for the series, but guys stepped up at different points, showing the power of this lineup when the Phillies get it firing on all cylinders.
Again, it wasn’t a series win, and there’s still plenty of work to be done. The Phils are 25-28, good for 4th in the NL East, a 6.5 game deficit, and a 2.5 game deficit for an NL Wild Card spot. It’s too early to worry about the standings, but it’s not an encouraging spot to be in. While this series against Atlanta might have shown Philly’s ceiling, it also is a reminder of how much better this team should be on a consistent basis. With 3 games each against the Mets and Nationals upcoming, the Phillies can still make inroads in the NL East, and they’ll need to sooner rather than later. But at least we saw that this team can still compete with top-level opposition. With their expectations this season, they’ll certainly have to.
7 Philadelphia Athletes Who Have Proven Themselves, And 7 Who Haven't
Joel Embiid- Not Proven
There is a lot good to say about Joel Embiid. In terms of talent, you could argue he is one of the most talented guys to every play in Philly period, let alone just the Sixers. 3 straight seasons as an MVP finalist, and he won it this year. And before the Celtics series, many would have said he was the Philly athlete they trusted the most. But there is no ignoring what happened this season. When the lights shined the brightest, he could not live up to the lofty expectations.
15 points in an elimination game. The biggest dropoff in scoring in the playoffs by an MVP ever. He let his team drop 2 straight games after they led 3-2. It was unacceptable. Enough with the excuses. Joel Embiid needs to step up and get the job done the next time he gets the chance. Until then it will be hard to forget how badly he played when it mattered most.
(Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Carter Hart- Unproven
Carter Hart was supposed to be the next great Flyers goalie. And so far, he has kind of lived up to it. Hart has played well, considering everything else around him. The defense in front of him in his young career has been putrid. Hell, the whole team has been. This is not a, he has not done well enough thing. But more of he has never had a chance to live up to the hype. He looked decent in his one taste of the playoffs. Had a save percentage of .926 in 14 games.
Hopefully, soon enough he will get more of a chance. Ideally, Keith Jones and Danny Briere will finally build a good team around him, and give him a chance to grow into the guy promised as a generational goalie. We need to see it before we say he has proven anything though. We have seen goalies carry their teams in the playoffs. Can Hart do that? We don’t know yet.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Zack Wheeler- Unproven
Going into the World Series last season, Wheeler felt like the sure thing. But now? It’s a bit questionable. He was not as bad as Nola in the World Series. It would be hard to be worse. But his 5.23 ERA was still bad. His first start was a blowup. The 2nd start was better, but he couldn’t get through 5 innings. Not good enough from an Ace. To make it worse, he has been a bit shaky this season, even if he has turned things around recently.
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Darius Slay- Unproven
We all love Slay. Him coming back, is a good thing. Between him and James Bradberry, they were one of the best, if not the best, cornerback tandem in the league. But the defense is a big reason why they lost the Super Bowl. In fact, it is the reason they lost. And Slay was getting picked on a little bit. You could say the same about James Bradberry, but Slay is the one who is the team leader and the most recognizable face on the defense. The defense needs to be better next time. Starting with him.
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Tyrese Maxey- Unproven
Maxey is still young, so he deserves a bit of a break. We have seen him show star potential in the playoffs in the past. But we have also seen him disappear in games too often. Maxey looked great in games 5 and 6. But was a non factor in games 2, 3, and 4. Embiid and Harden rightfully took most of the heat for the Playoff collapse.
Going forward, Maxey needs to be more reliable. It doesn’t need to be a 30pt night like in game 5. But can he average 20 pts a game in the playoffs like he does in the regular season? They are going to need him to. The excuses that he is young and inexperienced won’t fly past this season. With a larger role likely coming for him, he needs to step into it if the Sixers are going to fix this.
(Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Trea Turner- Unproven
Trea Turner is certainly a star. He has been the best SS in the MLB at times. But he has yet to really prove he can be the guy when it counts here, or elsewhere. His first season here has been a disaster so far. it looked like things were turning around in June. But in July he went right back to swinging at every pitch out of the zone. To make it worse he is even hurting them in the field. They need him to be a star. So far, he hasn’t even been good.
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
