The 22-15 Phillies aren’t just getting by — they’re thriving, and it’s coming from every part of the roster. Whether it’s the top of the order with Stott and Turner, the middle with Schwarber, or now the bottom with Alec Bohm and the center fielders, Marsh and Rojas, this lineup is clicking in a way that’s tough to ignore.
Let’s talk about Bryson Stott. On Thursday, he doubled and scored in the first inning, launched a game-changing homer in the eighth, and then played the ultimate small-ball move with a perfect sacrifice bunt in the 10th. Over his last 20 games, he’s been on fire: .295/.349/.449, 15 runs, and 14 RBIs.
Then there’s Brandon Marsh, who’s looked like a different player since wrapping up his rehab stint with Lehigh Valley. He’s gone 5-for-11 since returning, adding some much-needed punch to the bottom of the order.
For all the talk about Philadelphia’s offensive firepower, their consistency has been impressive. Over the past two series against the Nationals and D-backs, they’ve won the first two games, but dropped the series finale — a pattern they had seen earlier in the year. But on Thursday? They finished the job. They swept the Rays, and they did it in dramatic fashion.
And let’s not forget about Schwarber. He singled in the ninth inning on Thursday, pushing his on-base streak to 43 games. If you haven’t noticed, that’s not a fluke. The guy is locked in.
The Phillies are starting to look like the team they were always meant to be — clicking on all cylinders and finishing what they start.
The club was due to arrive in Cleveland around 2 a.m.
The Guardians are a good team, sitting 22-15 and having won seven of their last 10 contests.
On the Farm
Andrew Painter is coming. And the Phillies’ No. 1 prospect wasted no time reminding everyone why the hype train has been speeding down the tracks for two years.
In his Triple-A debut, Painter opened his night by striking out Roman Anthony — yep, that Roman Anthony, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. And he didn’t stop there. He punched out five of the first eight hitters he faced, flashing the electric stuff that made him untouchable at every level.
But hey, even phenoms are human. With two outs in the third, Painter lost the zone and walked three straight to load the bases. No problem. He got Blake Sabol to pop out harmlessly to short, stranding the runners and striding off the mound with a little smirk.
Final line: 3 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts. A big-league tease? Maybe. A glimpse of what’s coming around the All-Star break? Absolutely.
Pitching Matchups
Friday: RHP Aaron Nola (1-5, 4.61) vs. RHP Gavin Williams (2-2, 5.06)
Saturday: LHP Ranger Suarez (0-0, 17.18) vs. RHP Tanner Bibee (3-2, 4.26)
Sunday: RHP Zack Wheeler (3-1, 3.35) vs. RHP L.L. Ortiz (2-3, 5.50)
Andrew Painter is coming. And the Phillies’ No. 1 prospect wasted no time reminding everyone why the hype train has been speeding down the tracks for two years.
In his Triple-A debut, Painter opened his night by striking out Roman Anthony — yep, that Roman Anthony, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. And he didn’t stop there. He punched out five of the first eight hitters he faced, flashing the electric stuff that made him untouchable at every level.
But hey, even phenoms are human. With two outs in the third, Painter lost the zone and walked three straight to load the bases. No problem. He got Blake Sabol to pop out harmlessly to short, stranding the runners and striding off the mound with a little smirk.
Final line: 3 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts. A big-league tease? Maybe. A glimpse of what’s coming around the All-Star break? Absolutely.
