Baseball’s a funny game.
Was it really just a week ago we were complaining that the Phillies had failed once again to get off to the fast start they promised in spring training? A listless and punchless offense being propped up by a good starting rotation and a punchless offense? Were we really watching all this again?
One week later, the Phillies have won seven in a row entering play on Tuesday thanks to series sweeps against two unbelievably awful baseball teams in the Rockies and White Sox, and a series opening win Monday night against the Reds. They are off to their best start since Gabe Kapler’s first season as manager in 2018 and look very much like the team we thought they’d be leaving Clearwater.
As it usually does, the Phillies’ success starts with their starting pitching.
After the Phils’ 7-0 win on Monday night, Ranger Suarez leads all National League pitchers with a 1.36 ERA. He is just the seventh Phillies pitcher in the last century to have a three-game stretch in which he allowed no earned runs and recorded at least 20 strikeouts. He has not given up a run in 25 straight innings, the longest streak since Cliff Lee went 30 ⅔ scoreless innings in 2011. Zack Wheeler and Spencer Turnbull took no-hitters into the 8th and 7th innings, respectively, Aaron Nola is doing his thing, and Cristopher Sanchez has picked up where he left off last year.
The Phils’ rotation has the second-best ERA in all of baseball, and over their last seven games has a 0.53 ERA. If you’re not a baseball nerd, let me tell ya, those numbers are GOOD.
But the offense has also come around. Trea Turner earned NL Player of the Week honors after going 12-for-26 with five doubles and a home run. Alec Bohm had a game where he hit two, three-run homers and is 10-for-22 during the seven-game winning streak. Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper have all hit well.
And don’t look now, but center fielder Johan Rojas is suddenly swinging a hot bat, justifying manager Rob Thomson’s faith in him through a miserable first two weeks.
On the latest edition of Hittin’ Season, Justin Klugh and I talked about this fun-filled last week of Phillies baseball, why the team is suddenly so hot, and talked a little about Major League Baseball’s umpiring problem, too!
