After a disappointing first half of the season, the Phillies will look to rebound in the post-All-Star break. Their first opponent will be unimpressive, but given the challenges that await them, they must capitalize on such mediocrity, especially since the Pirates will not be using their most destructive weapon.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a 48-48 record and are in third place in the National League Central, trailing by 6.5 games.
The last time they met
In mid-April, the Pirates split a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies appeared to be on track to win the game until Zack Wheeler went apart in the sixth inning, allowing Jack Suwinski to hit a grand slam. (For those unfamiliar, Suwinski is a utility guy with an OPS of.578)
What’s up with the Pirates?
They are treading water with a.500 record, putting them in the National League Wild Card race. (This does not make them unique, as there are only two NL teams with no chance of making the playoffs. They’ve done so despite having an anemic offense that sits at the bottom of the league in terms of OPS. They’ve been led on offense by outfielder Bryan Reynolds, who is having a strong rebound season after a disappointing 2023.
The pitching staff has performed well, with a rookie pitcher taking the world by storm.
Skenes-mania
Paul Skenes, who was drafted in the first round of the 2023 draft, quickly rose through the ranks to the majors. He made his debut in May, and despite a rocky start, he has dominated since then. Skenes has become the baseball world’s darling, thanks in part to his semi-famous girlfriend. It’s unusual for a rookie pitcher to start the All-Star Game, but Skenes did it in the first inning on Tuesday night, sporting that hideous uniform.
The Phillies will have to wait until next season to meet him. The Pirates announced their series rotation, which did not include Skenes. Instead, the Phillies will face Martin Perez (5.15 ERA), Luis Ortiz (who has mostly pitched in relief this season), and Marco Gonzalez (a senior journeyman who has pitched effectively this season but is being paid by two other clubs not to pitch for them).
He is a star! Trade him!!
Following a losing team for an extended period of time can be detrimental to people’s cognitive abilities. When you go through bad season after bad season, you lose track of the story and forget what the sport is all about. (For those who do not know, the goal is to win games and eventually championships.)
This happened to certain Phillies fans around 2015, when if a player played well, some fans would immediately declare that he should be traded while his worth was at its peak. (Remember when everyone assumed we’d receive something decent in exchange for Aaron Harang?)
Former pitcher Seth McClung carried this thinking to an outrageous level.
If you have a prospect who pans out and looks like a star, your first thought should not be, “Trade him!” However, this is what occurs when a team lacks confidence in its ability to construct a winner around a young star. Instead, you are constantly looking forward to a future that will never arrive.
McClung has a point: the Pirates’ ownership is unlikely to spend what it takes to keep Skenes, and they are likely to trade him, like they did with Gerrit Cole. This is not good for baseball.
But I won’t complain too loudly on behalf of the Pirates or their fans. I’m a Phillies fan first and foremost, and while I understand that baseball is mostly an unfair game of “haves” and “have nots,” it’s good when your club is one of the “haves.”
I’ve previously stated that fans of lower-payroll clubs should not be upset with the Phillies for attempting to buy their way to a title. They should be upset with their team’s owner for not doing the same.
Anyway, Skenes will look fantastic in a Phillies uniform in a few years.
What about the Phillies’ rotation?
Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suarez will be held out of this series to allow them to fully recover from their (hopefully minor) ailments. Instead, Aaron Nola will start on Friday, and unless he is utterly exhausted from throwing two pitches in the All-Star Game, Cristopher Sanchez will likely pitch one of the other games. The last start is set to go to rookie Tyler Phillips. Phillips was strong in his first start, but so did Michael Mercado.
It’s probably a decent idea to have Phillips face the unimpressive Pittsburgh lineup while saving a presumably fully healed Wheeler and Suarez for the far more dangerous Twins. However, it would be good if the Phillies could provide him another eleven runs of assistance, like they did last time.
Last chance to see Cutch?
Andrew McCutchen seemed content to spend his golden years with the Pirates, but at 37, it appears like he is nearing the conclusion of his career. He’s nearly exclusively a designated hitter these days, and while a franchise legend has a longer leash than others, your DH should have an OPS above.715.
On the other hand, we’re talking about pirates. If Cutch is willing to return on inexpensive one-year terms, they will most likely hire him. Anyway, here’s a video of him hitting a game-winning home run for the Phillies:
The history! The tradition! THE “POOP!”
A series between the Phillies and Pirates always has a unique flavor to it. Perhaps it’s because they were long-time division rivals. Perhaps it’s because there’s “Pennsylvania pride” on the line.
Just kidding! People enjoy this series because we have the “POOP” scoring bug!
Not that I don’t want the Phillies to score early runs, but it always feels like a letdown when they score in the first inning and we miss out on more “POOP” on our screens. I love leadoff Schwarbombs as much as the next guy, but perhaps save them for the Twins series?
The Florida Marlins won their first game in Philadelphia 4-1, with Danny Jackson as the losing pitcher. Chappdaddy was the first to respond correctly.
The series’ question: The Phillies’ most recent game at Pittsburgh was a 10-inning loss in July 2023. The Phillies relievers blew two saves in that game. Who were the two who blew it?
Final thought
The series against the A’s to close the first half was disappointing, but it was predictable as the Dodgers approached the All-Star break. Similarly, with a much tougher schedule ahead, the Phillies may be looking beyond this series. Hopefully, the terrible performance against the A’s will help inspire them, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Phillies don’t come out of the break strong.
