Six straight series losses pushed some Philadelphia Phillies fans to sound the alarms. Garrett Stubbs pitched for the third time in 14 games to begin the weekend set in Seattle, but the Phillies held their ground.

They salvaged a win against the Mariners thanks to a miraculous catch by Brandon Marsh in the series finale. Kyle Schwarber then carried them against the high-powered Dodgers to finally break the consecutive series losing streak.

Phillies vs. Seattle Mariners

• Friday 8/2: Loss 10-2
• Saturday 8/3: Loss 6-5
• Sunday 8/4: Win 6-0

Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

• Monday 8/5: Loss 5-3
• Tuesday 8/6: Win 6-2
• Wednesday 8/7: Win 9-4

All stats as of the beginning of play on August 8

• Kyle Schwarber Gives Phillies Commanding Lead Over Dodgers

  When the Phillies desperately needed a life, their leadoff man answered the call. Kyle Schwarber had one of the best offensive performances of his career in the rubber match victory against the Dodgers.

  Schwarber finished 4-4 with 3 home runs and 7 RBI in the 9-4 victory. He had seven total hits in the series at Dodger Stadium, and he’s swinging a red hot bat that’s helped the Phillies see daylight after a brutal stretch. He’s raised his season OPS to .894, 13th best among qualified MLB hitters.

  Colin Newby on X (formerly Twitter): "Kyle Schwarber over his last 12 games.442/.579/1.0938 home runs, 16 RBI1.672 OPS / X"

  Kyle Schwarber over his last 12 games.442/.579/1.0938 home runs, 16 RBI1.672 OPS

  The Phillies won their first series since they defeated… the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park from July 9-11. They also clinched the standings tiebreaker this week in Los Angeles with the regular-season series win.

  Series losses against the Athletics, Pirates, Twins, Guardians, Yankees, and Mariners wore on the fan base. However, the clubhouse stayed confident thanks to the collected approach of Rob Thomson.

  “It seems like there are times when we’re in a bit of a slump, and he’ll inject some energy into the club with a leadoff home run or a big home run somewhere.” –Rob Thomson

  The bullpen still needs to pull it together. The starting staff hasn’t reached its full potential recently. The offense needs to improve timely hitting.

  However, the Phillies defeated the second best team in the National League on the road. They’ve held onto a solid NL East lead despite their recent slump, and they held off a push from the Dodgers for the best record in the NL. They sit in as good of shape as any World Series contender.

  Phans of Philly - Road Game Tailgates & Travel! on X (formerly Twitter): "Rips one into the night! pic.twitter.com/b2tMXahHtE / X"

  Rips one into the night! pic.twitter.com/b2tMXahHtE

• Brandon Marsh Finally Hitting Lefties?

  The chatter leading into the MLB Trade Deadline fixated on Brandon Marsh’s struggles against left-handed pitching.

  Austin Hays looked immediately like a platoon option in left field. However, Rob Thomson announced his intention to use Hays everyday and slide Marsh to center field to play almost every day in place of Johan Rojas.

  Marsh gave his critics plenty of ammo by starting the season 7/51 (.137) against left-handers. Philadelphia’s bushy-haired outfielder has taken advantage of Thomson’s vote of confidence, however. Four hits in his next five at-bats against lefties drove up his dismal season average just south of the Mendoza line.

  Marsh showed his poise on Saturday in Seattle with a two-run single in the fifth inning against southpaw Tayler Saucedo. The at-bat perfectly demonstrated an ability to read pitches low in the zone and pull them to right field.

  Thomson even felt comfortable starting Marsh against Clayton Kershaw on Tuesday. The future Hall of Famer got Marsh to pop out in the third inning and later hit him with a pitch in the fifth. Marsh’s season average against left-handed pitchers now sits at .193.

  Kershaw could pitch against the Phillies in the postseason, and the Braves have lefties Max Fried and Chris Sale primed for a potential playoff series.

  Thomson platooned Cristian Pache in left field during the early rounds of the 2023 MLB Playoffs after Marsh posted a .229 regular-season average against lefties.

  Can Marsh convince his manager that this streak of solid at-bats means he can start every playoff game without concerns for handedness?

  

• A Rejuvenated (6-Man) Starting Rotation

  Zack Wheeler reminded everyone on Sunday why the Phillies starting staff still has the second best ERA in the majors despite their recent downturn. The staff ace threw eight shutout innings to snap the team’s six-game losing streak.

  Can the rotation regain the dominant form that catapulted the Phillies to a mammoth NL East lead by June?

  Matt Gelb spoke in July about the possibility of a six-man rotation taking shape to keep the big arms fresh for Red October.

  “They’re going to need six guys in August because they will go to a six-man rotation. They’ve done it each of the last two years. They’re going to do it again just to pad some of these guys, to give them extra rest in the dead of summer.” –Matt Gelb on 97.5 The Fanatic 

  Ranger Suarez could return on the upcoming homestand (August 13-18). He will throw an up and down bullpen on Thursday.

  Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sanchez also have room for improvement, like everyone on the 26-man roster since the All-Star Break, and Sanchez took a big step with six strong innings at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday.

  The Phillies will need one more start from Kolby Allard in Arizona after Taijuan Walker missed his scheduled Tuesday rehab start in a rainout.

  However, Walker should be healthy enough to pitch at the bottom of the rotation for the remainder of the regular season. The Phillies hope that the extended IL stint and rehab, which Jayson Stark believes was about healing his splitter as well as his blister, helps him perform like the pitcher they signed to a $72 million contract through 2026.

  Who’s the sixth man? Spencer Turnbull isn’t ready to return yet, and it’s unclear if he’ll have enough time to stretch out into a starter’s form again in 2024.

  Tyler Phillips stormed out of the gates after his MLB debut and showcased his stuff in a complete game shutout on July 27. He could conceivably stick in the rotation for the remainder of the regular season.

  Colin Newby on X (formerly Twitter): "If Ranger Suarez and Taijuan Walker return for the upcoming homestand with 44 games remaining, a six-man starting rotation could look like this pic.twitter.com/7GNTdQXptL / X"

  If Ranger Suarez and Taijuan Walker return for the upcoming homestand with 44 games remaining, a six-man starting rotation could look like this pic.twitter.com/7GNTdQXptL

• Looking Ahead

  The Phillies will finish their West Coast swing with four games against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The mention of Chase Field makes Phillies fans cringe, and their NLCS nemeses enter in the midst of a 24-9 stretch.

  • Thursday 8/8 at 9:40pm: Kolby Allard (0-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. Jordan Montgomery (7-5, 6.37 ERA)
  • Friday 8/9 at 9:40pm: Zack Wheeler (11-5, 2.77 ERA) vs. Ryne Nelson (8-6, 4.65 ERA)
  • Saturday 8/10 at 8:10pm: Aaron Nola (11-5, 3.54 ERA) vs. Zac Gallen (9-5, 3.75 ERA)
  • Sunday 8/11 at 4:10pm: Cristopher Sanchez (8-7, 3.27 ERA) vs. TBD

• 97.5 The Fanatic

  97.5 The Fanatic provides weekly news, analysis, and interviews about the 2024 Philadelphia Phillies season.

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