The Phillies finally showed a pulse. Now they’ll need much more than that against red-hot Toronto.
The slump-busting win on Wednesday gave the Phillies a breath of relief — but now comes the test of whether that breath turns into a heartbeat.
After taking two of three from the Cubs, capped by a resurgent start from Jesús Luzardo and a much-needed power surge, the Phillies welcome in one of the hottest teams in baseball. The Blue Jays have won 12 of 14, just completed a sweep of the Cardinals on the road, and suddenly look like the team everyone expected back in April. That’s not great timing.
Especially when their offense is clicking the way it is. Alejandro Kirk just went 9-for-15 in the St. Louis series with a pair of homers and four RBIs. And guess who had the walk-off hit against the Phillies just two weeks ago? Yep. That guy.
The Blue Jays took two of three from the Phils in Toronto earlier this month, outslugging and outlasting them — and they’ll open this series with Kevin Gausman (5-4, 3.87 ERA), who’s been solid lately and has the kind of fastball/splitter combo that can quiet hot bats in a hurry. That said, Gausman is just 1-4 with a 4.24 ERA in nine career outings against the Phillies.
The Phillies counter with Ranger Suárez (4-1, 2.70 ERA), who’s quietly been one of their best arms. Since his season debut, he’s allowed just six earned runs over six starts — good for a 1.36 ERA. His poise will be tested by a Jays team hitting .280 over its last 10 games.
And here’s the bigger picture: The Phillies are 3-7 in their last 10. They’ve hit just .231 in that stretch and been outscored by eight runs. The Jays? 8-2. They’ve outscored opponents by 13.
So yeah, this series may just be mid-June. But if the Phillies want to start shaping their October outlook, it needs to start looking more like Wednesday, and a lot less like the last two weeks.
Because Toronto’s coming in hot. And they’re not just swinging for hits.
They’re swinging for statements.
Pitching Matchups
Friday: RHP Kevin Gausman (5-4, 3.87) vs. LHP Ranger Suarez (4-1, 2.70)
Saturday: RHP Bowden Francis (2-8, 6.12) vs. LHP Cristopher Sanchez (5-2, 3.10)
Sunday: RHP Jose Berrios (2-2, 3.38) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (6-2, 2.85)
Painter Struggles
In his last two starts at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Andrew Painter has hit a bit of turbulence, 10 earned runs across nine innings, capped by a five-inning outing in which he allowed six earned on eight hits, including a pair of longballs. Not ideal. But also, not unexpected. His ERA through six starts sits just north of 5.00. And while the numbers might not leap off the page, in a good way, there’s not a sense of alarm echoing down from Citizens Bank Park.
Manager Rob Thomson made that clear earlier this week, saying the organization isn’t particularly concerned. In fact, the Phillies see this stretch less as a red flag and more as an opportunity—an early test of adversity for a 21-year-old who’s still learning how to pitch again after a two-year detour through Tommy John recovery.
The plan hasn’t changed. Painter is still tracking toward a potential big-league debut sometime in July. What that looks like, and where exactly he fits into a rotation that’s already humming, remains to be seen. But for now, the focus is on innings, adjustments, and resilience.
