Fresh off a series win over the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park, which vaulted them into first place in the National League East, the Phillies arrived in Houston prepared to face a potential World Series contender from the American League. The Astros entered Tuesday’s series opener with a 45–33 record and a firm hold on the American League West. Fans will recall the Astros last captured a World Series title in 2022—defeating, of course, the Phillies.
This marks the first and only regular-season meeting between the two clubs.
With that in mind, let’s take a look back at the Phillies’ three-game series at Daikin Park.
They say numbers don’t always tell the full story, and Ranger Suárez proved that on Tuesday night. Although he was tagged with the loss in the Phillies’ 1–0 defeat, Suárez delivered a stellar performance, keeping a talented Astros offense in check for nearly the entire game. The left-hander tossed 7 2/3 innings—his longest outing since April 27, 2024—allowing just four hits, one earned run, and recording seven strikeouts.
Unfortunately for Philadelphia, that lone run came on a solo homer by Cooper Hummel in the bottom of the eighth. It was Hummel’s fifth career home run—and the only offense Houston needed to secure the victory.
“It’s just baseball,” Suárez said after the game “You can’t miss pitches at this level and I paid for it. I’m proud of it being a good start but you can’t miss pitches at this level.”
Despite taking the loss, Suárez continues to shine in what has been a stellar season on the mound. Over his last nine starts, he owns a 1.17 ERA, and his season ERA now sits at an impressive 2.08 with a 6–2 record. Set to become a free agent after the season, Suárez is making a strong case for a sizable payday. He is currently playing on a one-year, $8.8 million deal in his final year of arbitration.
As good as Suárez was, his counterpart Framber Valdez was equally impressive. The Astros left-hander pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing just four hits on 92 pitches. Two of those four hits came off the bat of Edmundo Sosa, who got the start at second base for the Phillies.
Tuesday marked the first time since May 9 that the Phillies were held scoreless.
On Wednesday night, the Phillies handed the ball to ace Zack Wheeler—an early candidate to start the All-Star Game—who has been nothing short of dominant this season. Entering the matchup, Wheeler owned a 1–0 record with a 1.50 ERA and 13 strikeouts in two career appearances against the Astros.
Much like the night before, a strong outing from a Phillies starter wasn’t enough to deliver a win. Wheeler allowed a run in the first inning on an infield single but quickly settled in, finishing with six innings of one-run ball. He allowed just four hits, struck out eight, and walked three. Still, that lone run proved sufficient, as Houston’s pitching staff kept the Phillies’ offense in check, limiting them to seven hits and no runs. The Astros added an insurance run in the eighth, sealing a 2–0 victory.
It was another strong performance from a Phillies starter, but once again without the run support to match.
Of the Phillies’ seven hits, two came from Kyle Schwarber and two from Brandon Marsh, who continues to provide a spark from the bottom of the lineup.
Wednesday’s loss marked the sixth shutout of the season for the Phillies.
In Thursday afternoon’s series finale, with the Phillies looking to avoid a sweep, Cristopher Sánchez took the mound—and delivered. The left-hander tossed six strong innings, throwing 99 pitches while allowing just five hits and one earned run, and racking up 11 strikeouts.
Trailing 1–0 entering the eighth inning, the Phillies finally broke through. A sacrifice fly by Marsh brought home Bryson Stott, snapping the team’s 26-inning scoreless streak and tying the game at one apiece.
However, the Astros responded in the bottom half of the inning, reclaiming the lead with a run to go up 2–1, ultimately sealing the win and completing the series sweep. It marked the third time in the past month that the Phillies have been swept.
The offensive firepower the Phillies displayed in their previous series against the Mets was nowhere to be found in Houston—a frustrating turn, especially given the strong performances from the starting rotation.
Philadelphia now turns the page and opens a three-game series against the Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta, beginning Friday.
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