PHILADELPHIA— Not the best week for the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phillies left Philadelphia last Sunday with a 7-2 record. They had just taken 2 of 3 games from the Los Angeles Dodgers and momentum was building. When they return home, they will have gone 2-4 on a road trip against the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals.
Sunday’s rubber match against the Cards could change the tune on the road trip, giving the Phillies something positive to build on after a rough week. However, the offense once again did not show up. For the 2nd time in 3 games, the Phillies were shut out.
Zack Wheeler was not Zack Wheeler, yet again. Wheeler allowed 4 earned runs in 6 innings of work against the Cardinals. He had just 3 strikeouts and allowed his 4th home run of the season. It took Wheeler nearly a month longer to allow his 4th long ball during the 2024 campaign.
Late in the game, the Phillies bullpen would allow St. Louis to tack on 3 more runs. All in all, the boys in red are excited to get home.
Wheeler Struggles Again
For most starting pitchers in Major League Baseball, a 6 inning outing while allowing 4 earned runs is considered an okay outing. However, when Zack Wheeler takes the ball, that kind of production is unacceptable. While most fans might give Wheeler a pass, he will not look too favorably on his performance.
While Wheeler did not have his typical punch on Sunday afternoon, he was pitching quite well. It was not until the 4th inning that he ran into trouble. Nolan Arenado would tag a ball to left field to reach with a 1-out single. This paved the way for Willson Contreras to take Wheeler deep, making it 2-0 Cardinals. It was Contreras’s 1st home run of 2025 and gave the Cardinals all they needed.
Later in the game, the Phillies starter got unlucky. The Cardinals would hit 3 ground-rule doubles in the inning to tack on 2 more runs. They took advantage of Wheeler and Brandon Marsh as well. Marsh seemed to be close, but not close enough to make a catch on 2 of these hits. Coming up with those balls could have changed the course of the outing.
Wheeler would finish his day with 6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, and 1 HR. His ERA has risen to 4.07, and the Phillies’ right-hander has not been himself to start 2025.
Phillies Bats Are Silenced
After scoring 4 runs on Saturday, the Phillies would face left-hander Matthew Liberatore on Sunday. Trying to carry some momentum from the previous game, the Phillies worked Liberatore’s pitch count early in the ballgame.
In the top of the 2nd inning, the Phillies had a chance to strike. A J.T. Realmuto single would start the action off before Edmundo Sosa smacked a ball to right field. Realmuto would go from first to third on the hit, and Sosa would advance to second base on the throw.
With 1-out and 2 runners in scoring position, the Phillies just needed a ball in play from Brandon Marsh to take an early lead. Marsh went down on strikes, leaving Johan Rojas as the Phillies’ next batter. Rojas would then lay down a bunt attempt before getting thrown out at first.
The offense would not really come close to scoring for the remainder of the game. A total of 9 strikeouts to just 1 walk on the game puts into perspective on how well the Phillies hitters were seeing Liberatore at the plate.
Alec Bohm went 0-3, dropping his average to .150, and Brandon Marsh would join Alec, dropping his average to .108. Trea Turner is hitting .240 with an OPS of .661, and Bryce Harper is hitting .250 with a .766 OPS. No matter where you turn, the offense has not been good enough for the Phillies.
Upcoming Schedule
The Phillies will head home to host the San Francisco Giants in a 4-game series. The Giants will enter Monday’s game with an 11-4 record on the season. They have been one of the best teams in baseball to start and are coming off a series win against the Yankees.
The Phillies will send Taijaun Walker to the mound on Monday. Walker is 1-0 with a 0.00 earned run average to start his season. Despite expectations, at this point, Walker is one of the better arms the Phillies have seen this season.
The first pitch on Monday night is at 6:45 pm EST.
Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images
