Phillies

Phillies

Phillies

The midsummer swoon is in the rearview mirror after making 97.5 The Fanatic’s phones ring off the hook. The Philadelphia Phillies have pulled ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in baseball with a 14-4 stretch.

Their attention now shifts to preserving the health of their playoff contributors and gaining the most advantageous seeding.

A peculiar slump from Ranger Suarez is also a key question heading toward Red October.

Phillies vs. Miami Marlins

  • Thursday 9/5: Win 5-2
  • Friday 9/6: Win 16-2
  • Saturday 9/7: Loss 9-5
  • Sunday 9/8: Loss 10-1

Phillies vs. Tampa Bay Rays

  • Monday 9/9: Win 2-1
  • Tuesday 9/10: Win 9-4
  • Wednesday 9/11: Win 3-2

All stats as of the beginning of play on September 12


  • Let's Start With The Injuries (COUGH, COUGH)

    The best record in baseball and home field advantage at Citizens Bank Park looks in reach. However, the Phillies must look to get healthy before entering Red October.

    Their list of nicks and bruises keeps growing. Rob Thomson provided some injury updates on Wednesday, but the Phillies still have a shorthanded lineup with some AAA regulars.

    • Catcher- J.T. Realmuto should return Friday after a week’s absence recovering from a foul ball off his knee in Miami. Rafael Marchan is back in AAA, but his previous injury forced Aramis Garcia to the majors to split time with Garrett Stubbs during Realmuto’s recovery.
    • Third Base- Alec Bohm remains on the IL with a left hand strain. He is progressing, but he probably won’t come off the IL when he’s eligible on Sept. 13. Edmundo Sosa could return on Sept. 17, but the Phillies have used Weston Wilson and Kody Clemens at the hot corner temporarily. Wilson has provided some pop off the bench this season, but he hasn’t shown great defensive versatility at third base.  
    • Austin Hays remains sidelined with a kidney infection. He’ll need to work on physical conditioning, and he’ll miss more time than most of his injured teammates.
    • Kyle Schwarber will return on Friday. His absence on Wednesday was precautionary.

    Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies avoids a tag at first base by Jonathan Aranda #62 of the Tampa Bay Rays during the third inning at Citizens Bank Park on September 10, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

  • Nick Castellanos Plunked; Benches Clear

    “Boys will be boys.” -Rob Thomson

    The Phillies entered the eighth inning on Tuesday tied with the Rays 4-4. Kevin Cash called on star reliever Edwin Uceta to keep the game knotted, but unexpected heroes like Cal Stevenson and Buddy Kennedy ran up the score for a 9-4 lead.

    Uceta took out his frustration on Nick Castellanos.

    Bryce Harper rushed in from second base. Both dugouts cleared. Matt Strahm ran on the field in shorts and a tank top. Alec Bohm and Edmundo Sosa didn’t let the IL stop them from joining their teammates.

    Castellanos said after the game he saw the malicious pitch coming. He’s not one to sugarcoat his words.

    “He was just pissed off that he got hit around and his ERA shot through the roof… I just told him that was bullshit… You’re throwing a baseball over 90 miles an hour, and you’re frustrated. You’re going to throw at somebody? That’s like my two-year-old throwing a fit because I take away his dessert before he’s finished.” –Nick Castellanos

    The red hot outfielder slugged a two-run homer in the first inning on Wednesday. The early lead helped the Phillies sweep the Rays, who have sunk four games under .500 and out of the AL playoff race.

    Tyrone Johnson criticized Uceta’s beam ball on The Best Show Ever and questioned how an MLB pitcher still thinks pegging a hitter is a rational option.

    Ricky Bottalico knows a thing or two about old school baseball, and he echoed the same sentiment.

    “In 2024, this should not go on. Back in the day, it was different. The game was different. People were getting hit all the time. Now, it’s (unnecessary), but we also see guys throwing up at people’s heads constantly, and nothing happens either.” -Ricky Bottalico

  • Concerns About Ranger Suarez

    The Phillies haven’t seen Ranger Suarez in peak form since the first half of the season. The Venezuelan lefty stormed out of the gates in 2024. He appeared to have emerged as a serious Cy Young candidate at the midway point.

    Colin Newby on X (formerly Twitter): "The Phillies reached the midway point of 2024, and they suddenly lost contributions from Ranger Suarez pic.twitter.com/pqivzoH1CS / X"

    The Phillies reached the midway point of 2024, and they suddenly lost contributions from Ranger Suarez pic.twitter.com/pqivzoH1CS

    Fast forward. The velocity on his four-seam fastball dipped into the 87-88 mile per hour range on September 5 in Miami. Suarez found an uptick in his last start, but he still allowed a career worst 12 hits to an underwhelming Tampa Bay lineup in 5 ⅓ innings on Tuesday. 

    “The velo was up a little bit from last time, but the command wasn’t as good and he didn’t have his best change-up. He sort of became one-dimensional. When he’s just fastball, curveball and he’s not commanding his pitches as well as he normally does, he can get in some trouble.” -Rob Thomson

    Retrace the steps to see how he ended up here. Suarez skipped the MLB All-Star Game and rested significantly between starts on July 12 and July 22. He then took a trip to the IL on July 27.

    Rob Thomson initially said he expected his breakout stud to return for the Arizona Diamondbacks series from August 8-11. The absence dragged on nearly two additional weeks.

    Meanwhile, Dave Dombrowski made a serious push to acquire 25-year-old starter Garrett Crochet, as reported by Jayson Stark on The Best Show Ever.

    Suarez has never pitched a full season in an MLB starting rotation, which was part of the rationale for conserving his innings and extending a cautious timeline.

    The aggressive push for the crown jewel of the trade market for an organization that already has long-term money tied to Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Cristopher Sanchez certainly didn’t indicate unwavering confidence in Ranger Suarez.

    Ranger Suárez #55 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a sunflower seed in the dugout during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 23, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

    Some combination of back spasms, extra rest, fatigue, dead arm, and natural regression have limited the 29-year-old’s contributions during the second half. Will he regain his rhythm as the dominant stopper from early 2024 by Red October?

    Suarez has never pitched more than 5 ⅓ innings in any of his seven career postseason starts. He’s never pitched more than 155 ⅓ innings in a single season.

    The unclear explanations for his lack of rhythm with three weeks remaining in the regular season shouldn’t inspire much confidence that he’ll give the Phillies the same length as Wheeler or Nola in the playoffs.

    Rob Thomson pulled Ranger Suarez in Game 1 of the NLDS in 2023 after just 3 ⅔ innings and 53 pitches. His bullpen put on a masterclass and crushed the spirits of the Atlanta Braves to set the tone for a series victory.

    Don’t be surprised if Thomson maneuvers with his pitching staff similarly to utilize Suarez in shorter outings during Red October.

  • Looking Ahead

    The Phillies will play the first of two consecutive weekend series against the New York Mets this weekend at Citizens Bank Park. They’ll travel to face the Milwaukee Brewers looking to create separation before a road four-game series at Citi Field next weekend. The Phillies-Mets game on Sunday 9/22 will air on 97.5 The Fanatic.

    • Friday 9/13 at 6:40pm: Aaron Nola (12-7, 3.41 ERA) vs. Jose Quintana (8-9, 4.09 ERA)
    • Saturday 9/14 at 4:05pm: Kolby Allard (2-0, 3.50 ERA) vs. Luis Severino (10-6, 3.74 ERA)
    • Sunday 9/15 at 1:35pm: Cristopher Sanchez (10-9, 3.33 ERA) vs. TBD
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