The month of May was kind to the Philadelphia Phillies. Despite how it ended, they finished with a 19-9 record in the month – third best in the majors behind the Cardinals and Twins. Still, the way the month ended has fans pining for excitement as the calendar flips to June.
That excitement was quickly rewarded, with the Phils dispersing of Toronto in the opening game of the series, exploding out of the gates in an impressive 8-3 win. With Bryce Harper returning and the bats waking from their slumber, the Phils will be looking to build on that win later today. But what does the rest of the series have in store?
Month No. 6 on the calendar is the best month for this era of the Phillies – they have won at a 65% rate in June since Rob Thomson took over as manager, which is by far their best month. Can a homecoming for the manager inspire the team to rebound as they attempt to reclaim their spot atop the National League East standings?
Game 2: Mick Abel (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. José Berríos (2-2, 3.86 ERA)
Mick Abel finds himself back into he big leagues after a hot stretch in at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Abel dazzled in his major league debut just over two weeks ago – turning in six shutout innings while tying a franchise record with nine strikeouts against the Pirates. He will make his first of what should be a few starts until veteran Aaron Nola is healthy. If he pitches well, the club will have a tough decision on their hands when that time comes.
Abel will be opposed by the veteran right-hander, Berríos. The majority of Phillies hitters have very limited experience against the 11-year vet, but one man to keep an eye on is Nick Castellanos. After spending years in the American league Central together, Casty figured out how to handle Berríos. Nick has a .381 batting average and .952 OPS against him over 21 at-bats. The returning Harper is 2-for-4 with a home run and two walks – this could be a big series for the first baseman.
Game 3: Jesús Luzardo (5-1, 3.58 ERA) vs. Chris Bassitt (5-3, 3.80 ERA)
Luzardo had a historically bad outing his last time out. He became just the 20th pitcher in baseball history to pitch four innings or fewer and allow 12 earned runs – not in line with the Cy Young numbers he put up before that. Dealing with injuries the last few years and pitching in a different league means not many Toronto hitters have been exposed to the electric left-hander. Only George Springer and Miles Straw have stepped into the box against Luzardo.
Bassitt, on the other hand, has been around so long it doesn’t matter what league you’re in – he’s probably faced you a few times. Despite a strong 3.60 career ERA, Phillies hitters have done well enough against the crafty veteran – they’ve slashed .267/.314/.450 against Bassitt lifetime. While he’s stifled Harper – holding him to a .091 average – Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, J.T. Realmuto, Schwarber, and Trea Turner are all hitting over .300 vs. the 11-year veteran. Schwarbs has taken him deep twice, and four of his seven hits are for extra bases.
On paper, Philadelphia should be able to rebound and win another series to start June off on the right foot. That’s also what most people thought as they entered the series against the Brewers – but they were hot coming into Philadelphia, just like the Blue Jays are hot as Philly heads to Toronto. Harper’s presence alone should do wonders for the Phillies offense, but can he break out and be a difference maker? Will the elbow hold up just fine? You can find out starting at 7:07 Eastern Time tonight.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
