It was fun while it lasted. A nine-game winning streak had the Philadelphia Phillies riding high before it was snapped this past Sunday in a narrow 5–4 loss to the Athletics—the franchise formerly known as the Oakland A’s and now slated for a future move to Las Vegas.
The game was tied at four in the eighth when A’s catcher Willie MacIver delivered a tiebreaking single—his first Major League hit—that sealed the upset. The loss was charged to Phillies left-hander Matt Strahm, who gave up two hits and two earned runs in the frame, dropping his record to 1–3 on the year. For the A’s, the win ended an 11-game losing streak.
Shortstop Trea Turner provided much of the offensive for Philadelphia, driving in three runs with an RBI single in the third, a sacrifice fly in the fifth, and a 343-foot homer to left in the eighth. On the mound, Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo rebounded from a rough first inning—where he allowed three runs—to strike out 10 over seven solid frames.
Still, despite the loss, there’s much to be excited about in Philadelphia. The Phillies remain one of the hottest teams in baseball, and both the club and its fanbase have every reason to feel optimistic as the calendar turns toward summer.
The team’s recent surge earned them the top spot in Fox Sports’ latest MLB Power Rankings, released on May 26th, following an impressive stretch of 21 wins in their last 27 games. Now sitting at 34–19 with a .642 winning percentage, Philadelphia owns the best mark in baseball by percentage points, just ahead of the 35–20 Detroit Tigers (.636). The Phillies also maintain a 1.5-game lead over the New York Mets in the National League East.
A big part of that success has been Trea Turner’s return to form at the plate. After a slow start to the season, he’s now slashing .310/.365/.443 with five home runs and 23 RBIs, and his recent performance suggests even more is on the horizon. During the Phillies’ latest seven-game road trip, Turner hit an even .400, adding three home runs and eight RBIs to his totals. His plate discipline has shown marked improvement, with a swing rate of 48.0%, contact rate of 77.4%, and a reduced chase rate of 28.6%—down from 33.9% last season, as reported by Ben Rosen of Last Word on Sports. Turner is also on pace to become the first Phillie to record a 200-hit season since Jimmy Rollins in 2007, a feat highlighted by Paul Casella of MLB.com. If he continues at this pace, Turner’s bat could be a game-changer come October.
In addition to Turner, Kyle Schwarber has continued to deliver at the plate, launching 18 home runs—tied for second in the majors alongside Yankees slugger Aaron Judge. His 41 walks rank third in all of baseball and second in the National League.
In addition to the bats, the Phillies’ starting rotation—led by ace Zack Wheeler—continues to impress. Wheeler holds a 6–1 record, tied for fourth best in the majors, along with 88 strikeouts and a 0.88 WHIP, both also ranking fourth. He’s been a workhorse for the Phillies, logging 70.2 innings—second most in the league. If he continues at this pace, there’s a strong chance Phillies fans will see Wheeler take the mound at the All-Star Game in Atlanta this July (Wheeler is a Georgia native), which would mark the third All-Star selection of his career.
While Wheeler has led the charge, he’s not the only Phillies starter dominating on the mound. Jesús Luzardo continues to prove himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball—an increasingly valuable offseason acquisition for the Fightin’ Phils. He holds a perfect 5–0 record with a 2.15 ERA, ninth best in the league, and has allowed just three home runs over 67 innings pitched.
After facing stretches against the Colorado Rockies—who hold the worst record in baseball—and the Athletics, who sit at the bottom of their division, the Phillies return to Citizens Bank Park where the level of competition is about to rise. Beginning Tuesday night, they’ll host the division-rival Atlanta Braves. While the Braves trail the Phillies by 8.5 games in the NL East, they’ve had the upper hand in head-to-head matchups this season, taking two of three in their April series.
With the roster firing on all cylinders, the true test begins as the schedule toughens—putting all eyes on whether this club can sustain its pace and keep building toward a season worthy of championship hopes.
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