The news came before a pitch was even thrown: Bryce Harper, wrist inflammation, headed to the injured list. The face of the franchise shelved just as the Phillies find themselves in a full-blown June swoon.
And then, seven innings later, the thud of the Pirates’ go-ahead home run echoed off the left-center seats at PNC Park — courtesy of Henry Davis, a former No. 1 pick turned spoiler — as the Phils dropped their eighth game in nine tries, 2-1, to Pittsburgh on Saturday night.
Yes, it’s still early June. But the sirens are starting to blare.
Davis jumped on the first pitch he saw from Ranger Suárez — a changeup that stayed too high, too middle — and deposited it over the wall. Just like that, Suárez, who has quietly become one of baseball’s most consistent starters, watched his unbeaten season come to a halt.
The loss dropped Suárez to 4-1, despite yet another quality start — his sixth in a row — and a final line that looked like it belonged in a win column: seven innings, five hits, two runs, no walks.
But these aren’t normal times for the Phillies. Not with the offense stuck in neutral. Not with Harper now on the shelf. Not with a lineup that’s suddenly allergic to big hits.
The lone spark? Kyle Schwarber, who sent a solo missile into the Allegheny air in the top of the first — his 20th homer of the season. That was it. That was the Phillies' offense.
Alec Bohm doubled to lead off the seventh, chasing Pirates starter Andrew Heaney, who exited with a cramping calf. But from there, it was rookie right-hander Isaac Mattson’s stage — and he delivered an off-Broadway gem. In just his second major league appearance, he mowed down Castellanos, Realmuto, and Stott with a runner at third and nobody out. That's three chances. Three outs. Zero runs. First MLB win.
David Bednar closed the door in the ninth, working a 1-2-3 frame for his eighth save.
So the Phillies, who once rode a wave of 12 wins in 13 games, are suddenly drifting in the other direction — and Harper’s absence only makes the waters rougher. The move is retroactive to Friday, and while the club hasn’t offered a timeline, it’s clear the pain in his right wrist isn’t new. He hasn’t homered since May 24.
Making matters more surreal: Otto Kemp, the 26-year-old fan favorite from Lehigh Valley, made his MLB debut on the same day Harper went down. He got the start at third base and went 0-for-3, but that hardly matters. Kemp, signed by the Phillies as an undrafted free agent in August of 2022, was hitting .313 with 14 homers and 55 RBIs in triple-A before his call up on Saturday.
The Pirates, meanwhile, opened the scoring in the first off a Nick Gonzales triple and an Andrew McCutchen single. That run — plus the Davis homer — was enough to hand the Phillies their second straight loss at PNC Park. A sweep looms if they can't stop the bleeding on Sunday - and it won't be easy against All-Star hurler Paul Skenes.
