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.

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

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.

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.

The Philadelphia Phillies dropped their MLB Opening Weekend series against the Atlanta Braves. Rob Thomson and the defending National League runner-up squad entered the month of April sticking to their goal of avoiding the sluggish starts that have plagued them the past two seasons.

Pray for no rainouts. The Phillies April schedule includes three remaining home series at Citizens Bank Park against opponents projected to finish toward the bottom the the MLB standings in 2024.

The home game promotions will come out in full force, as the fan base has reignited the same atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park that made the Phillies the talk of the town from 2007-2011.

They’ll follow up the homestand in Philadelphia with three series on the road. The first comes in a rematch against the Cincinnati Reds. The next two will come on the West Coast in start times that stretch a little past the bedtimes of an East Coast fan base.

Zack Wheeler has come out of the gates strong in 2024. He looks like the NL Cy Young candidate that the Phillies hoped he’d be when they handed him a lucrative offseason contract. 

The loss of Spencer Strider raises some major question marks about the NL East favorite Braves. Do the Fightin’ Phils now have an advantage over the original favorite in the division race?

The Phillies April schedule hasn't brought out the strongest offensive performances so far. However, a potent lineup with studs like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Trea Turner has plenty of potential to explode at a monent's notice.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.