The Phillies opened their highly anticipated weekend series against the defending World Series champion Dodgers on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd of 50,834 at Dodger Stadium, but a quiet offensive performance and a shaky outing from Zack Wheeler resulted in a 4-2 loss.
Looking to set the tone for the series, Philadelphia handed the ball to its ace, who entered the night unbeaten at 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA and had surrendered just one home run across his first 37 2/3 innings of the season.
This time, however, Wheeler was uncharacteristically vulnerable.
The veteran right-hander worked six innings, allowing five hits and four runs, all of which came via solo home runs. It marked just the second time in his career that Wheeler had surrendered four home runs in a single start. The Dodgers did most of their damage early, connecting for three solo shots over the first three innings before adding another in the fifth.
Wheeler acknowledged afterward that he never quite felt comfortable on the mound.
“I was just a little out of whack, so I wasn’t as sharp,” he said. “Some pitches didn’t get where they needed to be, especially against this type of lineup.”
Despite the rough outing, Wheeler wasn’t interested in dwelling on it.
“It’s baseball,” Wheeler said. “It’s a weird sport when things happen. Sometimes you feel out of whack and you do well. Sometimes you don’t.”
Interim manager Don Mattingly felt Wheeler was better than the final line suggested.
“I didn’t think he was terrible,” Mattingly said. “Just the solo homers.”
Philadelphia’s offense offered little support. The Phillies were held hitless through the first five innings before Kyle Schwarber finally broke through with a two-out solo home run in the sixth. The 411-foot blast was Schwarber’s Major League-leading 22nd home run of the season and accounted for Philadelphia’s first hit of the night.
The Phillies finished with just three hits in the loss. Their only other run came in the eighth inning when Steward Berroa delivered a two-out RBI single to trim the deficit to 4-2, but Philadelphia could get no closer.
Friday’s defeat also underscored one of Philadelphia’s most persistent offensive issues this season. The team entered the game hitting just .187/.251/.320 against left-handed starting pitching, and those struggles were once again on display. As the season progresses, improving against left-handers remains one of the club’s biggest challenges.
Saturday’s game appeared to be slipping away from the Phillies as they entered the eighth inning trailing 3-1. However, Philadelphia staged a late rally, scoring three runs with two outs in the frame to erase the deficit and pull out a 4-3 victory.
The comeback began when Justin Crawford singled to open the inning. After advancing to second on a Schwarber groundout, Crawford came around to score when Bryce Harper lined an RBI single, cutting the Dodgers’ lead to 3-2.
Moments later, Edmundo Sosa delivered the game’s biggest swing. With Harper aboard, Sosa launched a two-run home run to left field, turning a one-run deficit into a 4-3 Phillies advantage. The veteran infielder was not in the original starting lineup and entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Brandon Marsh in the sixth inning. His eighth-inning blast ultimately proved to be the difference.
“I just tried to stay aggressive with my approach,” Sosa said. “I trusted my swing. I’ve been trusting my swing. I’ve been feeling really good lately.”
Before the late-inning heroics, Alec Bohm provided Philadelphia’s only offense through the first seven innings with a solo home run in the second. The homer was a welcome sight for Bohm, who had cooled off following a productive stretch in mid-May. Entering Saturday, the third baseman was batting just .167 (6-for-36) with two home runs and three RBI over his previous 10 games. On the season, Bohm has appeared in 54 games, hitting .208 with six home runs, 24 RBI, 17 runs scored, and seven doubles.
On the mound, Jesús Luzardo turned in another solid performance, allowing two earned runs on seven hits over 5.1 innings while walking two and striking out six.
The victory was also a testament to Mattingly’s decision-making, as his choice to turn to Sosa off the bench paid off in dramatic fashion and helped the Phillies even the series.
Sunday was an afternoon the Phillies would rather put behind them.
With the series on the line, the Dodgers controlled the rubber match from start to finish, handing Philadelphia a lopsided 9-1 defeat. Los Angeles pounded out 13 hits, including several home runs, while Phillies hitters were limited to just five hits against a dominant Dodgers pitching staff.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto set the tone for Los Angeles, overpowering the Phillies lineup with 10 strikeouts and keeping Philadelphia’s offense largely in check throughout the afternoon.
The Phillies turned to rookie right-hander Andrew Painter, but the Dodgers quickly put pressure on him. Painter lasted 3â…“ innings, surrendering seven hits and four earned runs while striking out three. Through his first 11 major-league appearances, the 23-year-old owns a 5.74 ERA with 43 strikeouts across 53â…“ innings.
Philadelphia also received an injury scare when J.T. Realmuto exited the game after being hit on the left wrist by a pitch in the third inning. The veteran catcher is expected to undergo further evaluation this week.
The Phillies will now return home to begin a three-game series against the San Diego Padres. Aaron Nola is scheduled to take the mound for Tuesday night’s opener.
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