The Phillies open their “second half” on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park with a matchup that, on paper, looks favorable — but comes with just enough mystery to keep things interesting.
The Los Angeles Angels — yes, the same Angels who lost 99 games last season — come to Philly to start a three-game series. They arrive at 47-49, four games out of an AL Wild Card spot, and somehow still hanging around despite a roster that looks like a rebuild-in-progress.
So how are they doing it?
They’ve mixed a promising young core with a handful of veteran Band-Aids, and for the first time in what feels like forever, they’re playing with a little juice. No, this isn’t your dad’s Mike Trout team — because even Trout hasn’t quite looked like Trout.
The Millville native has been solid, sure. But not MVP-level. A bone bruise in his left knee cost him a month, and he’s been limited to DH duties since his return in late May. He’s hopeful to get back to right field after the break — and the Angels are hoping the second-half version of Trout can still do Trout-like things. They’ll need him to. Especially if they want to keep defying expectations.
As for the Phillies? They lead the NL East by a half-game over the Mets, and their 55 wins are tied for fourth-most in the National League. But they’re about to be tested — and not just by whatever version of the Angels shows up this weekend.
This series marks the beginning of 21 straight games against American League opponents. It’s a stretch that includes matchups with Detroit, Baltimore, Boston, and the Yankees — all playoff-caliber teams or clubs hovering around the Wild Card chase.
In fact, the Phillies won't face another National League opponent until August 11 when the club travels to Cincinnatti for a three-game set with the Reds.
If the Phillies want to put distance between themselves and the rest of the division — or plant their flag atop the NL — it starts now. And it starts with the Angels.
If the Phillies want to put distance between themselves and the rest of the division — or plant their flag atop the NL — it starts now. And it starts with the Angels.
Pitching Matchup
Friday: LHP Jesus Luzardo (8-5, 4.14) vs. TBD
Saturday: RHP Taijuan Walker (3-5, 3.55) vs. TBD
Sunday: LHP Ranger Suarez (7-3, 1.94) vs. TBD
Two Storylines to Watch in Second Half
1. Bryce Harper’s first half wasn’t defined by failure — it was defined by frustration. The numbers aren’t ugly: a .261 average, a .374 on-base percentage, and a .451 slugging mark through 250 at-bats. But they’re a notch below what the Phillies need from their franchise cornerstone. Ten homers. Thirty-five RBIs. On pace for a 24-homer, 83-RBI season. For Harper, that’s a supporting role. Not the lead. And maybe that’s because the first half was stop-and-go from the jump. In late May, a Spencer Strider fastball drilled him on the right elbow. A few games missed. Then came the wrist soreness, and with it, nearly a month on the sidelines. The bat cooled. The rhythm vanished.
2. Bullpen improvement
If the Phillies are serious about winning the National League — and this roster says they are — then Dave Dombrowski can’t head into August without reinforcements. Especially in the bullpen. Entering Friday, the Phillies’ relief corps ranks near the bottom in nearly every meaningful metric — ERA, WHIP, inherited runners scored. It’s not just a crack in the armor; it’s a leaky, beat-up car rolling into a playoff race that demands horsepower. You can’t win a pennant with relievers gasping in the seventh inning of every tight game. Not in October. Maybe not even in September.