The Phillies entered the weekend riding unexpected momentum. In Don Mattingly’s first series at the helm following the dismissal of Rob Thomson, the Phillies went 3–0, completing a sweep of the San Francisco Giants at home.
That early spark set the stage for Mattingly’s first road test, a trip to face the Miami Marlins, a club he knows well from his time in their dugout. The Marlins came into the series in strong form, quietly climbing near the top of the NL East and exceeding early expectations.
Yet for a Phillies team that has struggled to find steady production for much of the season, there were signs in Miami that something might be shifting. There were flashes of a team beginning to rediscover itself, offering fans a level of optimism that has been largely absent.
With that, let’s take a look at how Mattingly’s first road trip as Phillies manager has unfolded.
Ace Zack Wheeler got the start on Friday night, and as he so often does, he delivered. The right-hander turned in another strong outing, tossing 6.0 innings while allowing just three hits and one run, striking out eight. Through his first two starts, Wheeler has logged 11 innings and surrendered only three runs, a reassuring sign for a staff that has been searching for consistency.
He then handed things off to Orion Kerkering, who followed with a scoreless inning of his own.
Offensively, the Phillies provided plenty of support, building a 6–1 lead through seven innings and giving Wheeler all the cushion he would need.
However, the Marlins did not go quietly. They pushed back late, scoring three runs off Jonathan Bowlan in the eighth and adding another against Brad Keller in the ninth to cut the deficit to 6–5. Keller was able to limit the damage and finish it off, securing the win as the Phillies improved to 4–0 under Mattingly.
On Saturday, Andrew Painter, a South Florida native, got the start. The young phenom has had a difficult stretch this season, and this outing followed a similar pattern. Entering the game at 1–3 with a 5.28 ERA in six appearances, Painter allowed seven hits, three runs, and three walks while striking out seven over five innings.
Offensively, the Phillies managed just one hit on the night, and Kyle Schwarber continues to search for answers at the plate. He struck out three times on Saturday, and when combined with his five strikeouts from Friday, has now struck out in eight consecutive plate appearances, the most by a Phillies position player in the Expansion Era, which dates back to 1961.
The final score read 4-0.
On Sunday, the Phillies wasted no time putting Saturday’s one-hit showing behind them.
They broke the game open early, erupting for six runs in the first inning, highlighted by a three-run home run from Bryson Stott.
In the third, Justin Crawford lined a single to right, bringing home J.T. Realmuto to make it 7–0.
Philadelphia finished with 11 hits on the afternoon.
On the mound, Jesús Luzardo was in control for most of the day. He held the Marlins scoreless into the seventh before allowing two runs, but it did little to take away from a strong outing. Luzardo walked none and struck out 10, leaning on a four-seam fastball that topped out at 98.8 mph.
The final score was 7–2.
Through five wins under Mattingly, Phillies starters have recorded four quality starts.
The Phillies will wrap up the series with one more game against Miami on Monday, with Aaron Nola (1–3, 6.03 ERA) scheduled to start. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m.
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