There is no hiding for the Phillies this year.
An annual playoff presence that has yet to close the deal on a World Series, the temperature among Phillies fans has been steadily rising. Factor in the national focus on Philadelphia this season as the Phillies host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, coinciding with America’s 250th anniversary, and there is nowhere to hide if the Phillies begin to falter.
Returning home from their first road series, the Phillies are faltering.
After taking two of three in Colorado, Philadelphia (6-6) gave life to a sputtering San Francisco Giants team. Though the team managed a 6-4 comeback victory in game one on Monday, the team has not scored a run since the seventh inning of that contest. 20 innings later, San Francisco won its first home series of the year with back-to-back shutouts against Philadelphia.
The Phillies will now look to reignite the offense as they start a nine-game home stand with a three-game weekend set against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Diamondbacks (7-6) are just coming off a series win against the New York Mets.
Let’s start with the much-needed disclaimer: it has been 12 games. Baseball, more than any other game, is a game of hot and cold streaks. Every team will go through a rough stretch, and the Phillies’ rough stretch thus far has resulted in a .500 record. The adage “You don’t win a World Series in April” rings true.
That being said, the Phillies need to find a way out of their current slump sooner rather than later. The National League East is only getting better every season. In the past two games, the Phillies are batting .129 at the plate. Granted, they have walked nine times across the two games, but walks do not mean anything if the offense cannot cash in. And in a day where traditional run production through bunting and “moving the player up” is deemed statistically ineffective, the only way is to drive the runners in with the bat.
Much of the attention has been laid upon the Phillies’ top three hitters: Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper. Turner, the 2025 NL batting champion, is hitting a low .260 thus far while Schwarber and Harper are at .195 and .222, respectively. It all starts with them, and they know they need to be better.
“We have to be, right?” Harper said per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “That’s what it is. We have to do it. I don’t have any other answer for you besides that we have to do it. We’ve got to be that team, because if we’re not, then we’re not going to be where we want to be at the end. Myself and everybody in here, we’ve got to have better at-bats. Everything you guys all see, we can get better at.”
With the stakes set for the offense, let’s take a look at the pitching matchups for the series.
Jesús Luzardo will look to build upon his one-run, 11-strikeout outing in Colorado on Saturday. He’ll face a fairly unfamiliar D-Backs lineup that does include Ketel Marte, who is 4-for-9 lifetime against Luzardo. Veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado has the most experience against Luzardo lifetime, going .154 in 13 at bats.
Saturday will then feature Taijuan Walker as he continues to try to settle into the rotation in a rough start to the season. His 9.31 ERA tells the tale of his first two starts while the looming threat of a healthy Zack Wheeler returning to the Phillies numbers Walker’s days in the rotation.
Looking to rebound from his first down start, rookie Andrew Painter will then get the ball for Sunday’s matinee. After striking out eight in his Major League debut against the Nationals, the Giants put up four runs against Painter on Monday, forcing contact against the power righty.
The Diamondbacks will put up a trio of right-handers, Michael Soroka, Brandon Pfaadt, and Zac Gallen, against the Phillies. Soroka, who pitched an immaculate inning in his season debut on March 31, has been immaculate in his 10 innings of work thus far, allowing only one run. Pfaadt, meanwhile, has allowed eight runs in his first two starts. Fans will remember Pfaadt from the 2023 NLCS when he made the start in both Games 3 and 7 for the D-Backs, keeping the Phillies to two runs in those starts.
The veteran Gallen will then make his fourth start of the year on Sunday against Painter. Gallen has allowed five runs in 15 innings of work so far. Harper is 6-for-18 lifetime against Gallen, while Turner and Schwarber have both hit home runs against the right-hander.
The first City Connect game of the year for the Phillies will start at 6:40 P.M. Friday night. Saturday and Sunday are both day games with 1:05 P.M. and 1:35 P.M. start times.
Friday will be broadcast on NBCSP+ while NBCSP will pick up the remaining two games of the series.
