Andrew’s 3 Observations From The Phillies Split With The Pirates
The Phillies split their 4-game series with the Pirates. I know that it is still “early”, but this was the first series that I was annoyed with that they didn’t win. I know Pittsburgh has had a good start to the season, but you can always be the team to slow down an opponent… Instead, the Phillies win 2 games and are back to .500.
Here are my 3 observations from the Phillies Series vs The Pirates:
1) I Am Not Panicking, But Man Is Harper Struggling.
After going 2 for 16 in this series, Harper’s batting average fell to .194. Again, I am not panicking. It would be unfair to say, “will this be a down year for Harper?” through 16 games. But it is fair to point how bad of a start he has had. Once he catches fire, this team will catch fire. I just hope it is soon
2) On The Flip Side, Trea Turner Is Hitting The Ball
Turner went 6 for 16 in this series against the Pirates including his first home run of the season. I predicted before the season started that Turner would be an All-Star. He still has a lot to do to solidify that, but his first 16 games should make you feel better than what you saw last year. Now I will mention this… through 16 games last year Turner was hitting .338 with a .392 OBP. Hopefully, he doesn’t have the dip, no, plummet, that he had in May and June last season this year.
3) It Was Nice to Have a Good Castellanos Moment
Not just “hey! Nick got a hit!”. No, Castellanos drove in a game-winning run.
Castellanos has been a hot-button topic to start the season. His struggles at the plate are reminiscent of his struggles back in 2022. I still say he was the team’s MVP last season. We know of his success in Cincinnati. He doesn’t stink. He has probably been more of a disappointment since signing with the Phillies, but the ballplayer is still there. Hopefully, like Turner, he can use this series to put together some good games.
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Philadelphia Phillies: 6 Remaining April Series
Pittsburgh Pirates: April 11-14 at Citizens Bank Park
The Phillies will face their long-lost cross-state rivals at Citizens Bank Park for a four-game set beginning on Thursday, April 11. While modern Philadelphia fans think of the Mets and the Braves as the chief rivals, the old NL East battles of the 1970s went much differently.
Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia series always draw overlapping fan bases because of the history between the two sports cities and the general proximity in Pennsylvania, especially for weekend series.
DJ Jazzy Jeff will highlight the weekend with a postgame party on Friday, April 12.
Colorado Rockies: April 15-17 at Citizens Bank Park
The Rockies don’t look like much of a threat in the NL West, but the weekday series includes some major landmarks.
April 15 is Jackie Robinson Day across Major League Baseball. The baseball pioneer broke the color barrier 77 years ago, and big leaguers appropriately honor his legacy with the number 42 on their backs each year on April 15.
Tuesday, April 16 is the first Hatfield Phillies Franks BOGO Night. Regardless of how you feel about Dollar Dog Night, you’ll still save a few bucks on ballpark dogs.
It’s also the return of Jake Cave to Citizens Bank Park.
Chicago White Sox: April 19-21 at Citizens Bank Park
The White Sox are the final opponents of a favorable homestand against teams projected to finish toward the bottom of the standings. The Phillies have struggled in the early months of the past two seasons. They’ll have an opportunity to gain momentum and padding in the standings.
Chicago unfortunately lost center fielder Luis Robert Jr. to a long-term injury, costing the Citizens Bank Park crowd their chance to watch the budding star.
Cincinnati Reds: April 22-25 at Great American Ballpark
The Phillies dropped two games of a three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park in the second series of the regular season. They’ll travel to Ohio hungry to face Elly De La Cruz after the phenom shortstop kicked a few errors under sloppy conditions in Philadelphia.
Bryce Harper feasted off Cincinnati pitching in the only victory of the series. He’ll look to repeat the success at Great American Ballpark.
San Diego Padres: April 26-28 at Petco Park
Prepare for late nights. Watch the Phillies after dark when a six-game West Coast trip kicks off in San Diego on April 26. The weekend set won’t spark quite the same excitement as the 2022 NLCS, but you’ll probably catch a few highlights of one of the most memorable series in Phillies history.
The Padres dealt Juan Soto to the New York Yankees during the offseason. Their roster still features some of the best firepower in the league, however. Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Fernando Tatis Jr. highlight a stacked lineup.
Los Angeles Angels: April 29-May 1 at Angel Stadium
The Phillies will travel to Anaheim for the final two games of the month on Monday, April 29 and Tuesday, April 30. They’ll finish out the West Coast swing on getaway day with a 4pm game (EST) on May 1.
Mike Trout will naturally own the headlines. However, former Phillies prospects Mickey Moniak and Logan O’Hoppe also provide interesting storylines two years removed from the series of deals that brought Brandon Marsh to Philadelphia.
