The Phillies do not need another reminder that the difficult portion of their schedule has arrived.
The standings provide one. The trade deadline provides another. The New York Yankees will provide the next three.
Philadelphia opens a three-game series against New York on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park after dropping two of three games to both the Mets and Dodgers during the first six contests of its homestand. What began as an opportunity to gain momentum after the All-Star break has instead exposed several familiar problems: inconsistent offense, costly mistakes and a bullpen operating without enough dependable options.
The Phillies enter the weekend at 56-47, 4½ games behind Atlanta in the National League East and only two games above the wild-card cutoff. They have lost two straight, gone 5-5 over their last 10 games and been outscored by 15 runs this season. Those numbers do not describe a team in collapse. They also do not suggest one capable of casually absorbing another losing series.
The Yankees arrive in a stronger position. New York is 57-45, two games behind Tampa Bay in the American League East and 4½ games clear in the wild-card race. The Yankees have won seven of their last 10 and own a plus-88 run differential, the kind of figure that illustrates the difference between merely surviving close games and consistently controlling them.
That makes the weekend more than another interleague attraction between two of baseball’s most recognizable franchises.
For the Phillies, it is another test of whether their current roster can withstand quality opposition before Dave Dombrowski determines how aggressively he must act before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The list of possible needs has continued to grow: another late-inning reliever, rotation depth, a right-handed bat and perhaps catching help.
The injuries have only complicated matters. Brad Keller is expected to miss the remainder of the season because of a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Garrett Stubbs is on the injured list with left wrist inflammation, while Rafael Marchán entered the weekend day to day because of left knee pain. The Phillies recalled Alex McFarlane from Double-A to reinforce the bullpen, but asking inexperienced arms to stabilize meaningful late-season innings is hardly an ideal plan for a club with postseason expectations.
Friday’s pitching matchup offers the Phillies an immediate opportunity to steady themselves.
Jesús Luzardo, 9-4 with a 3.43 ERA and 143 strikeouts, will face Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler, who has emerged as one of the American League’s best starters. Schlittler enters at 9-6 with a 2.20 ERA and 145 strikeouts. He allowed three runs while striking out eight over 4⅓ innings against the Dodgers in his first start after the break. Luzardo, meanwhile, allowed one run and struck out seven over five innings against the Mets.
New York is scheduled to start left-hander Ryan Weathers on Saturday. The Phillies had not announced their starter as of Friday afternoon. Sunday’s nationally televised finale is expected to match Yankees right-hander Will Warren against Cristopher Sánchez, who enters at 12-4 with a 2.71 ERA and 151 strikeouts.
Sánchez gives the Phillies a significant advantage in the finale, but waiting until Sunday to secure a satisfactory weekend would miss the larger point.
The Phillies need cleaner baseball before they need dramatic baseball.
Their recent losses have included poor baserunning, defensive mistakes and an inability to turn manageable situations into victories. Those shortcomings become more damaging against clubs such as the Dodgers and Yankees because elite teams do not require repeated invitations. One mistake can become a run. One missed opportunity can become the difference between winning a series and explaining another defeat.
The Yankees have their own deadline questions, particularly at catcher and in the bullpen. They are not arriving as a complete team. They are arriving as a contender attempting to improve while remaining within reach of a division title.
That should sound familiar to the Phillies.
This weekend will not determine their season, but it could clarify the urgency surrounding it. Another uneven series would leave Philadelphia with a losing homestand, a narrowing margin in the wild-card race and even more evidence for Dombrowski to consider.
The Yankees are visiting for three games.
For the Phillies, the evaluation extends well beyond Sunday night.
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