Despite a three-game losing streak to end the month, the Philadelphia Phillies turned in a strong month of May, ending the month with a 19-9 record. Their 19 wins were tied for the most in baseball on the month.
A large portion of the Phillies’ success has been their performance at Citizens Bank Park, where they are 19-11 with a 7-2-1 series record.
Consistency across the board
The key to the Phillies’ success has been a consistent approach across the board, per Rob Thomson.
“At times we really swung the bats well,” said Thomson on Saturday. “I think our starting rotation is very consistent, very good. And we play good defense, so that’s a pretty good combination.”
Over the past month, the Phillies’ offense has batted .265, the sixth-best average in the League. Kyle Schwarber was tied for third in all of baseball with 10 home runs on the month while the Phillies also showed some control in limiting strikeouts, dropping to the 12th fewest strikeouts.
Alec Bohm led the Phillies with a .324 average on the month while hitting five home runs and earning an .874 OPS. The corner infielder spent a portion of May batting towards the bottom of the lineup as he worked through some issues at the plate, but has since returned to the middle of the order and has been very effective in doing so.
Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo, and Ranger Suárez each finish the month with sub-three ERA’s in the rotation. Wheeler’s 0.81 WHIP is the fourth-best in the League on the month while Luzardo leads the team with 40 strikeouts. Cristopher Sánchez, Luzardo, and Taijuan Walker are all sitting in the sub-four category in ERA while Luzardo’s career-worst outing on Saturday took his ERA up from 2.15 to 3.58.
After Luzardo’s 12-run start on Saturday, Thomson was asked if there are any concerns regarding his workload at this point in the season:
“I don’t think so,” said Thomson. “Velocity’s still there, I think his stuff is still there. There’s some days when you just don’t execute as well as others, but I don’t think it has to do with workload.”
Despite recent struggles, the strong overall performance from the Phillies’ starting rotation has taken some pressure off of a Phillies’ bullpen that has not only struggled but has found itself short-handed in recent months.
Notable absences for the Phillies
Speaking of the bullpen being short-handed, Jose Alvarado is just one of three major players to go down this month. Alvarado was handed an 80-game suspension on May 18 after he tested positive for exogenous testosterone, a banned substance. Jordan Romano has gotten the job done in the closer role since Alvarado’s suspension, but the Phillies are without their high-velocity left-handed threat for 80 games and the postseason.
Two days prior to the Alvarado suspension, starter Aaron Nola found himself going onto the Injured List for the first time since 2017 with a right ankle sprain. Nola’s recovery has been progressing and he is scheduled to pitch a full bullpen on Sunday. Following a successful bullpen, he will pitch against live batters later in the week before likely starting a rehab assignment. At this point, a mid-June return is likely in the cards for Phillies’ longest-tenured player.
Then there is Bryce Harper, who caught a 95.3 mph fastball from Spencer Strider to his surgically repaired right-elbow on Tuesday. Harper has yet to return to the lineup but began to take swings again Saturday afternoon. Though a start on Sunday is still up in the air for Harper, it seems though the Phillies’ cornerstone first baseman will avoid a trip to the Injured List.
Looking ahead to June
After the Phillies wrap up their series against the Brewers on Sunday, they hit the road for a six-game road trip against the Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Blue Jays are in the middle of the pack in a strong AL East race while the Pirates sit at the bottom of the NL Central with the fourth-worst record in baseball. Afterwards they return home to face the head honcho of the NL Centra, the Chicago Cubs, before finishing their season series against the Blue Jays at home, concluding on Father’s Day.
The second half of the month features 10 NL East contests, beginning with four games in Miami against the Marlins and then a three-game set, all nationally broadcasted, against the New York Mets. A 2022 World Series rematch will then take place in Houston before the Phillies complete their final June series in Atlanta on June 27-29. June 30 will feature the Phillies kicking off a series against the San Diego Padres at home as the Phillies end the month with their first Xfinity Fireworks Show.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
