PHILADELPHIA — After their victory over the Chicago Cubs this past Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies find themselves back on the winning path.
After three straight series losses to the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Pittsburgh Pirates, the Phillies now get a chance at redemption against Toronto. A 3-game series at Citizens Bank Park for Father’s Day weekend could help swing the club back into the hunt for the National League East.
Division Race
Entering play on Friday evening, the New York Mets lead the NL East by 5.5 games. While there is plenty of baseball left to be played, the Phillies hurt themselves on their recent skid.
After surpassing New York for the division lead, the Phillies punted away their hard work. This allowed the Mets to make up ground quickly, sweeping the Rockies and Nationals in consecutive series. They will host the Rays this weekend, an even opponent to the Phillies’ matchup with the Blue Jays.
These two teams will meet next weekend in Philadelphia, where three nationally televised games will showcase the division race.
Phillies’ Probable Pitchers
Ranger Suarez (4-1, 2.70 ERA) vs Kevin Gausman (5-4, 3.87 ERA)
Ranger Suarez will open the Phillies series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night. Suarez has been excellent since returning from the Injured List to start his season. Excluding his first outing, he has pitched to a 1.36 earned run average in 39.2 innings pitched. Suarez has been downright dominant and looks much like the pitcher we saw in the first half of 2024.
Suarez will be opposed by Kevin Gausman, a strong veteran who has made quite a few stops in his big league tenure. Gausman has been strong again in his age-34 season, his 13th in the majors. The Phillies will have to keep the right-hander off his game and continue to work counts. Otherwise, they might find themselves in a pitcher’s duel on Friday night.
Cristopher Sanchez (5-2, 3.10 ERA) vs Bowden Francis (2-8, 6.12 ERA)
Cristopher Sanchez will take the mound on Saturday for the Phillies in a rematch with Bowden Francis. After being swept by the Brewers a few weekends ago, Sanchez ended the team’s losing streak in the series opener against Toronto.
He faced off against Francis, going six innings, striking out nine batters, and allowing just two earned runs. Francis, on the other hand, did not fare well. He allowed six earned runs in 1.2 innings pitched in the outing. In his next start, Francis went 3.2 innings, allowing four earned runs against the Minnesota Twins.
The Phillies will have to hope to get a similar outcome when these two pitchers face off. A strong start by Sanchez could help the team win back-to-back series and continue the team’s climb towards the postseason.
Zack Wheeler (6-2, 2.85 ERA) vs Jose Berrios (2-2, 3.38 ERA)
In Sunday’s Father’s Day finale, Zack Wheeler takes the mound for the Phillies in a battle with Jose Berrios.
The two clubs will send their aces to the mound to potentially try and decide the series. Berrios was excellent against the Phillies in their first matchup this season. He went six innings, allowing just one earned run in the team’s 2-1 victory.
Wheeler missed the Blue Jays series but looked sharp in his return against the Cubs. The Phillies will need their ace to keep churning out excellent performances. If Wheeler wants to finally capture the elusive NL Cy Young Award, he will need to turn it up a notch this summer. For now, the Phillies need him to focus on a strong Toronto lineup.
Watson’s Watchlist
This weekend, there are two players that I am keeping my eye on for the Phillies.
Jordan Romano
Jordan Romano got a chance to face his former club when the Phillies went to Canada earlier in the month. His homecoming was not stellar, however, allowing the Jays to walk it off in the bottom of the 9th.
I have a feeling that Romano will get another opportunity against the Blue Jays in this upcoming series. This time around, I expect him to complete the task at hand. After a really bad start to his season, Romano had a strong month of May. In 11 games, he pitched to a 2.53 earned run average and struck out 17 batters. His performance resembled the caliber reliever that made the Phillies want to take a chance on him.
Sticking it to his former team could be in the cards for the Phillies’ closer this weekend at Citizens Bank Park.
Otto Kemp
After a really strong series against the Chicago Cubs, it feels like Otto Kemp is starting to find his footing at the big league level. Kemp went 4/13 in his three starts against Chicago, including his clutch bunt in the extra-inning game on Monday. It appears that he is seeing the ball better and will continue to get playing opportunities this weekend.
Kemp is still chasing his first career home run. His 14 homers in Triple-A were among the top in all of the International League, and Kemp’s power is what got the Phillies’ attention this season. It was that same showcase of power that likely factored into his promotion when Bryce Harper got injured.
I would watch to see if Kemp can round the bases for the first time in his big league career this weekend. It certainly would be another great moment in the infielder’s young career.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
