Following an electric 9-5 victory against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, the Philadelphia Phillies will look to secure a victory in their first series of the second half Sunday afternoon. Ranger Suárez will take the mound for the Phillies against Angels’ pitcher José Soriano.
Breaking down the matchups
Ranger Suárez will look to continue what shaped up to be a fantastic first half on the mound. After a rocky first start back from the Injured List, Suárez has allowed 13 earned runs in 43.2 innings pitched for the Phillies.
Outside of the Phillies, the Angels are the last team in the Major Leagues that Suárez has yet to pitch against. He has, however, had success against Jorge Soler and Travis d’Arnaud in 25 combined at bats against the pair (5-for-27).
José Soriano, meanwhile, has made one appearance against the Phillies, out of the bullpen, back in 2023. He allowed two earned runs in 0.2 innings against the Phillies. Trea Turner hit a two-RBI triple against Soriano that day. Bryson Stott is the only other Phillies batter to record a hit against him.
This season, Soriano has pitched to a 3.90 ERA in 20 starts, striking out 98 batters in 113 innings pitched.
Let the Swing-Off continue
Kyle Schwarber awed the entire baseball world Tuesday night, hitting three home runs in three attempts in the swing-off to win the 2025 All-Star Game for the National League. After being named All-Star Game MVP, Schwarber continued to apply the heat as the second half began. Over the first two games against the Angels, Schwarber has scored three runs on three hits, including two home runs. One of which was a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Phillies a 7-4 lead.
With 32 home runs on the season, Schwarber is in the midst of what could be the best season of his career, coming at an opportune time as he is in a contract year. The Phillies have made every indication that they would like to re-sign the slugger, but any conversations on that subject will likely take place in the off-season.
“It seems like there’s a moment every other night,” said Rob Thomson regarding Schwarber’s electric swings. “There’s a lot of moments and thank God we got him. He’s really something.”
Follow along with the Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies will close out their series Sunday against the Angels with a 1:35 p.m. start time. Fans can watch on NBC Sports Philadelphia. The game can be heard on the radio on 94.1 WIP.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
