Inquirer.com – Zurich DR

Author: Lochlahn March

  • Phillies rookie Alex McFarlane carries his hometown in the U.S. Virgin Islands with him

    Phillies rookie Alex McFarlane carries his hometown in the U.S. Virgin Islands with him

    ANAHEIM, Calif. — Alex McFarlane hadn’t planned on leaving his hometown in the U.S. Virgin Islands for high school. But the baseball fields were gone.

    They were decimated in September 2017 when Hurricane Irma made landfall, and it was followed two weeks later by Hurricane Maria. Both Category 5 storms caused widespread, catastrophic damage to the Caribbean islands, including McFarlane’s home of St. Thomas.

    The only hospital on the island was severely damaged. Trees were uprooted. Roads were obstructed. Buildings became rubble. It took months for power to be fully restored.

    After witnessing how his community rebuilt after the devastation, the Phillies right-handed reliever had “VI STRONG” tattooed on his left arm. Last month, when he became the 16th player from the Virgin Islands to make his major league debut, McFarlane had a reminder from home with him.

    “It’s just a testament to our community. We’ve got a strong community,” said McFarlane, 25. “Stick together, and rebuild everything together. I always carry that mentality throughout, when I play.”

    Phillies reliever Alex McFarlane has a “VI Strong” tattoo on his left arm in honor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he grew up.Lochlahn March

    The hurricanes cost McFarlane an entire year of baseball. He was 16 years old when they hit, and he stayed in St. Thomas at first to make sure his family was OK. But to continue his career after that, he had no choice but to leave the island.

    It was not easy. McFarlane spent his senior year at Habersham Central High School in north Georgia. It was a culture shock, and not just because of the new environment and new school. It was also McFarlane’s first time playing organized high school baseball.

    “It’s very similar to the Dominican Republic, as in who we play and stuff,” McFarlane said of youth baseball in St. Thomas. “We don’t have high school ball, but we’ll do interisland play.”

    As a kid, McFarlane sometimes had to take multiple flights hopping between small islands to get to baseball tournaments. They would play against teams from places like Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and the ABC Islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. One year, his team nearly qualified to represent the Caribbean in the Little League World Series but fell short in the championship game.

    Phillies World Series winner Larry Christenson has died at 72

    Once he arrived in Georgia, McFarlane said the coaching staff at Habersham helped him adjust quickly. From there, he was recruited to play college baseball at Miami, from where he was drafted by the Phillies in the fourth round in 2022.

    Now, he’s representing St. Thomas on the biggest baseball stage.

    “I just try to set the best example as I can, just go out there and work as hard as you can each day,” McFarlane said. “Stay consistent with your routines, and just go out there and do your best every time. No reason not to give your best. So that’s just what I carry with me.”

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    St. Thomas has a population of 42,261, as of the 2020 U.S. census. That’s smaller than the 42,901 capacity of Citizens Bank Park. It’s a tight-knit community that is proud of its own.

    McFarlane pointed to Aliyah Boston, a star for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, and Basketball Hall of Famer Tim Duncan as Virgin Islander athletes whose footsteps he is following. There also happens to be another Virgin Islander in the Angels farm system, who McFarlane hopes will join him in the majors soon. Najer Victor, who also is from St. Thomas, currently pitches for Los Angeles’ triple A affiliate.

    But McFarlane also has been making his mark on the Phillies. Since his debut on July 22 — when he secured his first major league out against Shohei Ohtani — he has impressed interim manager Don Mattingly, who said he can see McFarlane in higher-leverage spots.

    “He’s throwing the ball good,” Mattingly said. “… Depending on their lineup and how they’re set up and everything else, there’s going to be times that he’s going to be in leverage.”

    On Friday night against the Angels, McFarlane struck out Mike Trout on three pitches, all fastballs that clocked triple digits. With a scoreless eighth inning, McFarlane lowered his ERA to 1.08 in eight appearances.

    He was credited with the win in the 5-3 comeback victory, the fourth win of his rookie season.

    Back home, they are watching.

    “It’s been great,” McFarlane said. “I got all the support in the world. A lot of guys I played ball with, I’m still in contact with to this day.”

    Edmundo Sosa celebrates after his pinch-hit grand slam won it for the Phillies in the ninth inning Friday.Mark J. Terrill

    McFarlane keeps a gaiter with the Virgin Islands flag on it hanging in his major league locker, another reminder from home. He doesn’t take the position he’s in lightly. McFarlane grew up far from any major league team and as a child inherited a Red Sox fandom from his mother.

    But he’s aware that each time he walks out to a major league mound, he might be converting kids watching from the Virgin Islands into Phillies fans. With every pitch, he is representing them.

    “I take pride in that,” McFarlane said. “I take pride in taking the field, knowing exactly where I’m from, and where I got to, from the Virgin Islands.”

  • Edmundo Sosa’s ninth-inning pinch-hit grand slam rallies the Phillies to a dramatic 5-3 win in Anaheim

    Edmundo Sosa’s ninth-inning pinch-hit grand slam rallies the Phillies to a dramatic 5-3 win in Anaheim

    ANAHEIM, Calif. — Edmundo Sosa let himself start to dream about it.

    He had waited on the bench for eight sweltering innings on Friday night and the Phillies had trailed the Los Angeles Angels, 3-1, for most of it. But when the clearly erratic Ben Joyce hit Alec Bohm with a pitch in the ninth, Sosa started to perk up. He could feel a rally brewing. He could see himself walking to the plate and making something happen.

    Joyce walked Justin Crawford, and then Bryson Stott took him to a full count. When Stott turned on a fastball, giving it a ride toward the seats in right field, for a split second it seemed like Sosa’s services might not be necessary at all.

    Angels outfielder Wade Meckler had other ideas, diving into the seats to haul it back in a highlight-reel robbery. It was the type of defensive play that could have easily deflated the Phillies, especially considering it was the second out of the ninth inning, and they still trailed 3-1.

    But not Sosa.

    Phillies World Series winner Larry Christenson has died at 72

    “I just stayed focused. The energy went on their side at that moment,” he said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “The whole stadium was euphoric, and I just stayed calm and focused.”

    He parked himself right next to interim manager Don Mattingly in the dugout, making it known he was ready if needed. And when Joyce walked J.T. Realmuto and the Angels brought in left-hander Sammy Peralta from the bullpen, Sosa had the pinch-hit opportunity he’d been waiting for.

    This time, Sosa made sure there was nothing that the Angels outfield could do. He crushed a changeup and sent it to the rock formation in center field, well beyond the reach of Mike Trout. The go-ahead grand slam propelled the Phillies to a 5-3 comeback win over the Angels to open the series.

    As he touched the plate, Sosa pounded his chest.

    “You know, going crazy,” he said, needing no translation.

    It has been a dazzling week for Sosa, who hit two key doubles in the Phillies’ sweep of the Cardinals at home. Mattingly kept him out of the starting lineup on Friday even with left-handed Reid Detmers starting for the Angels. Knowing the Angels had several lefty relievers, he wanted a right-handed option remaining in the chamber for exactly that situation.

    “I just trusted that the opportunity was coming, and that I was going to be able to come through in it,” Sosa said.

    Jonathan Bowlan picked up the save since closer Jhoan Duran was unavailable due to a “stomach thing,” according to Mattingly. Postgame, as Sosa pulled on the headset for a television interview, the traveling Phillies fans gathered behind the visitors’ dugout chanted his name.

    Afterward, Sosa paused to enthusiastically dap up the security guard stationed outside the clubhouse, before walking in to raucous cheers from his teammates.

    “I mean, everybody loves Sosa, right?” said Andrew Painter.

    Phillies rookie Andrew Painter settled down after surrendering three runs in the first inning on Friday.Mark J. Terrill

    He had been watching the ninth from inside the clubhouse, but raced to the dugout to join his teammates after seeing Sosa’s hit clear the wall. The grand slam helped pick up the rookie right-hander, who was tagged for three runs in the first inning but was lights out after that.

    The Angels capitalized on two walks, two singles, and two wild pitches to build an early 3-0 lead, as things initially looked dire for Painter as he struggled with command.

    But after finally ending the first with his 28th pitch — inducing a lineout from Josh Lowe — Painter somehow found a reset between innings.

    When Painter walked back out for the second, he looked like a different pitcher. He retired 15 consecutive Angels. When the streak finally ended with a nine-pitch walk to Meckler, Painter induced an inning-ending double play that he started himself with a throw to second base.

    “I felt like I was a little trigger-happy early,” Painter said. “Trying to rip those things I think got me in bad positions. … The miss was gloveside, a couple fastballs trying to go away to lefties, ended up being on the inside part of the plate. So just got to figure that out.”

    The two hits he gave up in the first inning — singles from Trout and Meckler — proved to be the only ones that Painter allowed in six innings.

    “It’s good to see,” Mattingly said. “I think it’s obviously always going to be good for him to get through that like that. Don’t want to give up the runs in the first. Just seemed like he was out of sync in the first.”

    On the offensive side, it initially looked like it was just going to be one of those games for the Phillies. Luis Arraez hit into an unusual double play to end the fourth inning, a screamer up the middle that deflected off the glove of Detmers and directly to shortstop Zach Neto without touching the ground. Neto snared the line drive and touched second base to complete the double play.

    Then, a baserunning blunder snuffed out a potential rally in the fifth. The Phillies had finally spoiled the shutout with an RBI bunt single from Derek Hill, who had capitalized on his elite speed. But with runners on first and second, the Phillies were poised to do even more damage.

    Kyle Schwarber sent a line drive single to right field, and Bryan De La Cruz initially pulled up after rounding third base before changing his mind. He was easily tagged out at the plate, ending the inning.

    Most stunning of all, though, was Meckler’s robbery of Stott. The Phillies third baseman could only stare at right field in disbelief, his hands on his head.

    But Sosa ensured the despair was short-lived.

    “I think I hit all of them. I was like, what the hell? Then I was very mad,” Stott said. “And then, super happy.”

  • Phillies World Series winner Larry Christenson has died at 72

    Phillies World Series winner Larry Christenson has died at 72

    Former Phillies pitcher and 1980 World Series champion Larry Christenson died on Friday morning while on a fishing trip with family and friends in Washington state, the team announced. Christenson was 72.

    Known as “LC,” he spent his entire major league career with the Phillies after being selected third overall in the 1972 MLB draft. Over 11 seasons, Christenson went 83-71 with a 3.79 ERA and 781 strikeouts in 1,402 ⅔ innings.

    “It is with great sadness that we just learned of the passing of Larry Christenson, who was a friend for 50 years,” former Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt said in a statement. “Larry was very special, the guy that kept in touch with all of us, he always had a smile on his face, he never forgot a moment he spent with you. His passing will leave a hole in all of our hearts. May he rest in peace.”

    A native of Everett, Wash., Christenson made his major league debut at 19 on April 13, 1973, and pitched a complete game in a 7-1 win over the New York Mets. He went on to help the Phillies qualify for the postseason six times over his 11 seasons. The 220 games Christenson started rank ninth all-time among Phillies pitchers.

    Christenson posted a career-high 19 wins in 1977. In the Phillies’ Sept. 27 victory over the Chicago Cubs that year, which clinched the National League East title, Christenson earned the win on the mound and hit a grand slam in the seventh inning.

    “My heart is heavy today,” former Phillies shortstop and manager Larry Bowa said in a statement. “LC was a tremendous teammate, an outstanding pitcher, and a true friend. Win or lose, he was always the life of the clubhouse. He loved the game and enjoyed every minute of his big league career. He will be deeply missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

    Following his retirement, Christenson remained an active supporter of Phillies Charities, according to the team.

    “The club and its fans are forever grateful for his contributions and the legacy he leaves behind in Philadelphia,” the Phillies said in the announcement.

  • The Phillies’ defense has improved with their shuffled infield. And it starts with Bryson Stott.

    The Phillies’ defense has improved with their shuffled infield. And it starts with Bryson Stott.

    No matter where he is on the infield, Bryson Stott is only thinking about one thing.

    It could be second base, where he started the season, or third, where he’s been playing since the trade deadline. But even back in college and the minor leagues, when Stott was primarily a shortstop, he was only focused on catching and throwing.

    “Still an infielder, still on the dirt,” Stott said. “So, just catching and throwing it.”

    Maybe that’s what made his transition to the other side of the diamond so seamless after the arrival of Luis Arraez. There was no mindset shift. He didn’t even change gloves. And in 41 attempts at third base, Stott has a 85% success rate, which is 7% higher than the expected success rate on those plays.

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    “He’s the best,” Arraez said. “He can do everything. He’s one of the best gloves we have.”

    He has recorded plus-3 defensive runs saved and plus-3 outs above average at the position.

    If fielders could earn a save, Stott would have shared some of the credit alongside Brooks Raley on Tuesday against the Marlins. With the lefty on the mound in the ninth with closer Jhoan Duran unavailable, Stott made two diving plays to bookend the inning.

    Stops like those weren’t exactly unusual to see from Stott when he played second, but the longer throw across the diamond after getting back to his feet made them all the more impressive.

    Bryson Stott “can do everything. He’s one of the best gloves we have,” said Luis Arraez.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    “If it worked like that, yeah,” said Alec Bohm said of Stott getting a save. “But he’s doing great over there. It’s been fun to watch.”

    There were a lot of initial questions surrounding the Phillies’ post-deadline defensive shuffle. It was certainly a risk to ask three-quarters of the infield to change positions on the fly, especially when they collectively ranked near the bottom of the league in many defensive categories already.

    But interim manager Don Mattingly thinks the current defensive alignment with Bohm at first, Arraez at second, Trea Turner at short, Stott at third, and Bryce Harper moving to right, is the strongest one they’ve had all season.

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    “I felt like that right away, and I know there was a lot of talk about it, but I felt right away that we were going to be probably better defensively,” Mattingly said. “And we’re a lot more versatile from what we can do during the course of the game.

    “Again, I know it’s a lot of moving pieces, and people question what guys can do, but like I think we knew that Bryson had played third. Bohmer, I’ve seen him enough at first. Bryce has played the outfield. I feel like we’re better like this.”

    To be clear, it was a low bar. For the first four months of the season before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, Phillies defenders had a minus-13 fielding run value, a StatCast metric that attempts to measure how many runs a team has been cost or saved due to its defense.

    Shortstop Trea Turner (left) says communication has been key to adjusting to a new double play partner in second baseman Luis Arraez (right).Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    But since Aug. 3, they have a plus-four FRV.

    There are a lot of contributing factors to their success. Bohm made a handful of early errors at first base soon after the switch. But in general, Mattingly — who knows a thing or two about playing first — thinks that the larger target Bohm provides with his 6-foot-4 frame helps the rest of the infield when they’re throwing to him.

    Arraez has continued the defensive resurgence that he began in San Francisco earlier this season. In previous stops, defense had never really been his calling card. With the Padres from 2024-25, he was moved to first base and designated hitter.

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    Part of the reason Arraez signed with the Giants in the first place last winter was because they gave him an opportunity to return to second base. And after working with the Giants’ highly-regarded infield coach Ron Washington, Arraez has posted a plus-9 FRV at second this year.

    He has taken to working with Phillies infield coach Bobby Dickerson just as well. Arraez heard glowing reports of Dickerson’s work from both Washington and his former San Diego teammate Manny Machado, who has known Dickerson since he was 16.

    “Really good energy, beautiful energy that he brings,” Arraez said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “And we’re lucky to have him.”

    The 6-foot-4 Alec Bohm (right) provides a bigger target to throw to at first base than Bryce Harper, who has moved to right field. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Turner, who has been the Phillies’ worst fielder this season with 18 errors at shortstop, has also shown improvement. None of those errors have come since the rest of the infield was rearranged around him, and in that span he has also posted a plus-2 FRV.

    He’s been making his own adjustments, from working on not setting up too early on grounders to recently trying out a longer glove that he actually borrowed from Stott. But underpinning it all is Stott himself. His range at the position helps cover some balls in the six-hole that Bohm might have ceded to Turner.

    “Stott plays a little bit different third base than Bohmer,” Turner said. “And I feel like in the last like week, Stott’s gotten a couple balls where I thought I was getting them, and you know maybe Bohmer would have let me get them, and then Stott’s made the play.”

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    Communication has been key with it all, Turner said, both with those plays and with Arraez, now that he has a new double play partner. He learned quickly that Arraez’s feeds to second are a little harder than Stott’s, and has adjusted to that.

    “We do enough ground balls that I feel like we got them pretty fast,” Turner said.

    This rearrangement is intended to be temporary. Arraez was brought in as a rental on an expiring deal, and Bohm is also a pending free agent. Harper expects to return to first base next season, and when he does, the rest of the infield could look completely different once again.

    Shortstop Trea Turner (right) says the range at third base of Bryson Stott (left) has been a change from Alec Bohm.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Stott, who will be 29 in October, is under club control through 2027, and the versatility he’s showing now could give the Phillies flexibility when they shape next year’s infield. When Arraez arrived, Stott said it didn’t matter to him where he’s playing, he just goes where he’s told.

    “I wasn’t really worried about him at all,” Mattingly said, “but he’s been really, really good. I’d say he’s probably better than anyone should expect, for a guy that hadn’t been over there that much.”

    Because no matter what position he’s playing, this year or in the future, Stott is just going to be worried about one thing: catching the ball and throwing it.

    Extra bases

    The Phillies claimed right-handed pitcher Andrew Hoffmann off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks and optioned him to triple-A Lehigh Valley. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, Felix Reyes was recalled and placed on the 60-day injured list with a right wrist fracture. In eight major league games this season as a reliever, Hoffmann, 26, had a 7.71 ERA.

  • Aaron Nola’s strong August continues in leading Phillies to their sixth straight win

    Aaron Nola’s strong August continues in leading Phillies to their sixth straight win

    Ahead of Wednesday’s series finale against the Marlins, interim manager Don Mattingly said he would be happy with five innings from starter Aaron Nola.

    “That’s really what you’re asking from really any of our guys,” he said. “Keep us in the game, through the middle of the game.”

    After a rocky start to the season, Nola has been reliably doing just that. But he surpassed those expectations Wednesday, delivering seven innings of one-run ball in the 4-1 win over Miami.

    It was just the second time Nola has finished seven innings this season. He kept the Marlins off balance with his knuckle curve on the way to the Phillies’ series sweep and sixth straight win. He recorded seven of his eight strikeouts and 12 total whiffs on the pitch. Nola did not walk a batter.

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    “He’s been good here a long time,” Mattingly said afterward, “and he’s actually been pretty good this year, for a long time now. So it was good.”

    Nola surrendered a solo homer to Javier Sanoja in the sixth — marking his eighth straight start allowing a home run — but that was one of just five hits he allowed. Homers have continued to be an issue for Nola, who is averaging a career-high 2.04 home runs per nine innings, but that can be manageable when he limits them to solo shots.

    Nola kept his composure, even as the Marlins threatened with back-to-back singles. After a mound visit from pitching coach Caleb Cotham, he rebounded to strike out Griffin Conine and Heriberto Hernández on curveballs.

    “Breaking ball was really good tonight, but still the mix is good with him,” Mattingly said. “He’s always mixing, and not really ever giving in to the middle of the plate.”

    Although Nola had escaped a jam in the sixth inning, Mattingly was confident enough in how he had been throwing the ball to send him back out for the seventh. Nola pitched a 1-2-3 inning, capping it with his eighth strikeout on his 100th pitch of the night.

    He exited to a standing ovation.

    “It was good. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the seventh,” Nola said.

    In four starts in the month of August, Nola has a 2.74 ERA. His ERA across the first four months of the season was 5.61. He can’t pinpoint one single adjustment that has spurred his turnaround, but Nola said that all his pitches have felt sharper recently.

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    “Lately I’ve been feeling pretty good. Body and arm, arsenal’s been feeling pretty good, and I just want to keep it up and keep having good work weeks,” he said.

    The Phillies didn’t homer in their first two wins against the Marlins this series, but on Wednesday, they finally found the seats. And it was from the unlikeliest suspect.

    Luis Arraez hit a two-run shot off his former Miami teammate Sandy Alcantara in the third inning, just his sixth homer of the season and second in a Phillies uniform since the Aug. 3 trade.

    “I just tried to find a barrel, and thank God I hit it out,” Arraez said. “And I mean, I think that ball in San Francisco is a double, but here it’s a homer.”

    According to StatCast data, Arraez was right. The long line drive would not have cleared the wall in 11 other major league ballparks, including his former haunt of Oracle Park.

    Luis Arraez hit his second home run with the Phillies in the third inning.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    But since it happened at Citizens Bank Park, Arraez drove in Bryce Harper, who extended his on-base streak to 23 games and his walk streak to 10 games by working a seven-pitch walk from Alcantara.

    Also an unusual sight was Kyle Schwarber scoring from first on a double from Trea Turner in the seventh. The relay from the outfield beat Schwarber to the plate, but he managed to swim around the tag for an insurance run. He was initially called out, but it was overturned after replay review.

    “Schwarber hit him with the hesi. That was pretty cool,” said Brandon Marsh. “Big insurance run that we needed. Big hit out of Trea, and yeah, that was that was a big run for us.”

    Marsh had some highlight-reel plays of his own in left field. He made a sliding grab on a line drive in the seventh inning to help out Nola, and then climbed the wall in the corner to snag a foul ball over the outstretched gloves and hats of the fans in that section in the eighth.

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    “I got to thank the guy standing over there for kind of pulling away at the last second because I think he had first dibs on it before me, I feel like,” Marsh said. “So he moved over a little bit and helped me have the room to catch it.”

    The Phillies scored a run in the second inning on three consecutive two-out singles. With the bases loaded, catcher Garrett Stubbs sent a soft grounder to shortstop and managed to beat out Otto Lopez’s throw to first for an infield hit. Stubbs had another single in the seventh.

    Nola passed the baton to Jonathan Bowlan and Jhoan Duran for a scoreless eighth and ninth inning, respectively. Duran recorded his 28th save of the season.

    After being swept out of South Florida by the Marlins last month, the Phillies have now returned the favor.

    “It was big for us,” Marsh said. “Just not been the second half that we’ve really wanted, but we’re still in it, and love where we’re at. It’s a good team over there. They pitched well, so it was really big for us to take three, especially here at home.”

  • Phillies sign left-hander Nestor Cortes to major league deal

    Phillies sign left-hander Nestor Cortes to major league deal

    The Phillies have added a veteran reinforcement to their shallow pitching depth.

    The club signed Nestor Cortes to a major league deal Wednesday, the Phillies announced. Cortes was optioned to single-A Clearwater. To clear a spot for him on the 40-man roster, right-hander Brian Keller was designated for assignment.

    Cortes, a 31-year-old left-hander, last pitched on Sept. 3, 2025, before he was sidelined with a biceps tear that required surgery. Prior to the injury, he had a 6.29 ERA in eight starts with the Brewers and Padres. In his eight-year career, five of which Cortes spent with the Yankees, he has a 3.94 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP. He was an All-Star in 2022.

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    Cortes lacks elite velocity, with his average fastball clocking 90.1 mph in 2025. He relies on deception and misdirection in his windup, often varying his timing and even pausing in the middle of his windup to throw off hitters. He has a four-pitch mix of four-seam, cutter, changeup, and sweeper.

    Cortes posted a video on X on Tuesday throwing for scouts.

    The lefty has playoff experience with the Yankees in 2022 and 2024. He surrendered a walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman in the 10th inning of Game 1 of the 2024 World Series, which the Dodgers went on to win in five games.

    Interim manager Don Mattingly said he wasn’t sure yet what role Cortes will play for the team.

    “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nestor pitch, besides a few pitches on TV and things like that. Never seen him in person, so we’ll see,” Mattingly said. “I think it’s depth. It’s another guy that’s got experience. And obviously when the signing, I think he’s throwing the ball pretty good.”

    The Phillies’ starting pitching depth has been thin all season. They released Taijuan Walker in April after extended struggles. Rookie Andrew Painter was optioned to triple-A in June to work on his fastball, and while he was with the IronPigs, the Phillies relied on Alan Rangel and bullpen games to cover the No. 5 spot in the rotation.

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    Painter was recalled on July 31 and has shown improvement in the four starts since, and the Phillies opted not to add a starting pitcher at the trade deadline. Instead, they brought in second baseman Luis Arraez along with relievers Caleb Kilian and Brooks Raley. Kilian hit the injured list with an oblique strain after just four appearances with the Phillies.

    Last September, the Phillies signed Walker Buehler as a depth starter ahead of their 2025 playoff push. To take stress off the Phillies’ starting pitching staff, they moved to a six-man rotation down the stretch.

    Nestor Cortes was an All-Star in 2022 when he posted a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts with the Yankees.Lindsey Wasson

    But a team using a six-man rotation can in turn tax their bullpen, because it means one fewer relief arm. The Phillies have already had issues with an overburdened relief corps this season, like last week in St. Louis when their only arm available for the ninth was Jonathan Bowlan. If that game went to extras, Mattingly was planning on putting backup catcher Garrett Stubbs on the mound, essentially conceding the game to the Cardinals.

    Mattingly said “in theory” the Phillies could go to a six-man rotation, but it’s also a risk for a team without a secure playoff position. The Phillies entered Thursday’s off day with the second wild-card spot in the National League, but the Padres and Diamondbacks are right on their heels, trailing by two and three games, respectively.

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    “Depends where you’re at in the race and all that,” Mattingly said. “I guess in theory, I think teams that do it are probably more comfortable where they’re at in the race. But you never know.”

    Extra bases

    Tanner Banks (left forearm strain) threw a live batting practice session on Tuesday and is scheduled for another tentatively on Friday. … Jesús Luzardo (11-5, 3.23 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday’s series opener against St. Louis. The Cardinals have not announced their starter yet.

  • Alec Bohm’s ‘really good rhythm’ leads Phillies’ hitting surge in 6-4 win over Marlins

    Alec Bohm’s ‘really good rhythm’ leads Phillies’ hitting surge in 6-4 win over Marlins

    Alec Bohm righted himself on second base and swiped his hand on the Phillies logo across his chest, staring back across the diamond at his dugout.

    The Phillies first baseman has been riding a hot streak at the plate for the past few weeks, and he continued it Tuesday against the Marlins by punching a slider to left-center field. The RBI double was part of a five-hit, four-run outburst in the sixth inning that put the Phillies ahead for the 6-4 win over the Marlins.

    “That low, rising liner,” said Bryson Stott, who also drove in a pair, “that’s my favorite swing of his.”

    Hayes: Alec Bohm, Philly’s latest scapegoat, nears the end of his run as a Phillie. Appreciate him.

    Kyle Schwarber came a few feet foul of a three-run homer that would have turned the inning into a total bloodbath. He even completed his home run trot before the initial call of fair was overturned by replay review. Schwarber later made up for it, though, with an RBI single in the eighth inning that scored a big insurance run.

    Bohm drove in the Phillies’ first run of the game with a single in the first, and he wasn’t done after the double. He also completed an unassisted double play to help out José Alvarado in the seventh, reaching out to snag a line drive and beating Javier Sanoja back to first in one fell swoop.

    “We told him he couldn’t play in the NFL, only college, because he only got one foot in there,” Stott said jokingly. “But that was a sick play.”

    Bohm pointed to an on-field batting practice session before the Phillies’ series opener in St. Louis last week where he felt like things started to click for him offensively. Bohm sat out that game to give Bryce Harper a day at designated hitter.

    “I just felt a really good rhythm, and it wasn’t really anything I intentionally tried to do different or anything,” Bohm said. “I don’t know what it really was.”

    Whatever the cause, he felt like he carried the rhythm into the next day, and then the next day. And since the St. Louis series, Bohm has been hitting at a .500 clip. In his last eight games, Bohm has five doubles and a homer.

    Trea Turner uses Bryson Stott’s extra glove to help solve his fielding woes: ‘It’s a lot longer’

    “It’s a crazy game,” Bohm said. “Obviously, I would have liked to feel great all year long and do it in April, but it’s a crazy game. Just some random little thing can kind of click or whatever.”

    The sixth-inning eruption was key for the Phillies to overcome two fielding errors and five walks issued by the pitching staff.

    Through the first four innings, the only hit starter Zack Wheeler allowed was an 0-2 count homer from Griffin Conine. But he often fell behind and had seven three-ball counts, four of which resulted in walks.

    Zack Wheeler has not completed six innings in his last five starts.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Two of those walks came back to bite him in the fifth. Wheeler lost the zone against Brian Navarreto and Jakob Marsee, issuing free passes to both. Xavier Edwards laced a line drive into center field for a single that scored a run. But an outfield assist from Justin Crawford, who combined with Trea Turner and Luis Arraez to catch Edwards sliding into second, limited the damage there.

    The deep counts drove up Wheeler’s pitch count, and he was lifted after 98 pitches and five innings. The Phillies right-hander has not completed six innings in his last five starts, although that includes a rain-shortened outing in Baltimore on Aug. 2.

    “That’s the frustrating part, really. It’s just not characteristic of me, and I feel like I’ve been walking too many guys the past handful of games,” Wheeler said.

    Inside the hitters’ meeting that sparked the Phillies’ on-base percentage turnaround this month

    Wheeler made an adjustment after his last start that helped him get back into his legs more in his delivery. That helped his fastball, and his velocity was back to normal after losing a tick in his previous start in St. Louis. Three of his seven strikeouts came on the pitch.

    But this time, he didn’t have feel for his off-speed pitches.

    “It’s hard to pitch with one pitch,” Wheeler said. “Worked out well at the beginning, and then just kind of got sloppy toward the end.”

    Even so, Wheeler is confident he will put all the pieces together. Interim manager Don Mattingly said he wasn’t worried either, since Wheeler’s stuff was still at its normal quality, even if his command was inconsistent.

    Bryson Stott is riding a 19-game on-base streak.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    “I know I still got it, and there’s no question about that,” Wheeler said.

    The Marlins capitalized on throwing errors from Arraez in the sixth inning and Orion Kerkering in the eighth to score two unearned runs.

    But the offense responded. Their sixth-inning outburst started with Turner getting hit by a pitch. Arraez used his bat-to-ball skills to reach down for a slider well below the zone, flaring it into center for a single to put two on for Bohm.

    After his RBI double, Bohm scored standing up on a single up the middle from Stott. Brandon Marsh and Crawford each joined the party with singles, giving the Phillies a 5-3 lead in a game they trailed 3-1.

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    “Just as a whole, it’s been a lot more of the focus of just getting on base and trying to set up the next guy,” Bohm said. “And just trying to string things together, and just get a lot of traffic.”

    That focus has led to tangible results. The Phillies collectively have a .371 on-base percentage in August, which leads baseball. Going into the All-Star break, they had a .303 marker that ranked third-worst in baseball.

    A big part of that has been Stott and Harper, who extended their on-base streaks to 19 games and 22 games, respectively, on Tuesday.

    Trea Turner sits on the ground after being hit on the wrist by a pitch in the seventh inning.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Turner was hit with a fastball on the wrist in the seventh inning, but the umpires ruled that he had swung and it was deemed a strikeout instead. Turner was checked out by trainers but remained in the game.

    With closer Jhoan Duran unavailable after pitching back-to-back games, Brooks Raley delivered a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his first save as a Phillie. He was helped out by two diving plays from Stott at third base.

    “Both those plays right there at the end were right in Bohm’s chest, so it’s always good to have a really good third baseman,” Wheeler said. “The guys also picked me up tonight. We’ve been putting together some good at-bats lately, and that’s what good teams do.”

  • Trea Turner uses Bryson Stott’s extra glove to help solve his fielding woes: ‘It’s a lot longer’

    Trea Turner uses Bryson Stott’s extra glove to help solve his fielding woes: ‘It’s a lot longer’

    After Trea Turner fielded the first grounder of the game Monday, third baseman Bryson Stott came over and gave the Phillies shortstop’s glove a tap.

    Or rather, Stott tapped his own glove. It just happened to be on Turner’s wrist, because he was borrowing it.

    The glove, a custom black model with red lacing, is from Rawlings’ Pro Preferred line. It’s also embroidered with Stott’s last name and his No. 5 in red. Turner has used it for the past few weeks while fielding grounders pregame, but Monday was the first time he tried it out in a game.

    Inside the hitters’ meeting that sparked the Phillies’ on-base percentage turnaround this month

    It was tested right away. On the first pitch of the game, Marlins outfielder Estury Ruiz hit a grounder to the hole between short and third. Turner was playing deep enough to cut it off, jump, and make the throw to first while in midair.

    “It kind of gave me a little bit [of a] different feeling [on] ground balls,” Turner said. “It’s a lot different than what I have. It’s a lot longer.”

    While it looks just like the glove Stott was using a few feet away at third, the one Turner borrowed was an extra, brand-new glove that he then broke in himself. (“I wouldn’t let him touch mine,” Stott said. “I wouldn’t let anyone touch mine.”)

    Stott has been using the same Rawlings model for a while. At the beginning of each season, he receives several Rawlings models.

    “I break one in and fall in love with that one,” Stott said, “and then I have three or four extra.”

    Turner was looking for a change after his defensive struggles had reached a fever pitch this season. He made four errors in four games after the All-Star break, along with other miscues that weren’t scored as errors but were mistakes, regardless.

    Bryson Stott (left) with Phillies shortstop Trea Turner pregame before last week’s Field of Dreams game. Turner has been using Stott’s extra glove during pregame warmups.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    So he asked Stott to borrow one of his extras.

    “Just having this on my hand feels like a little different,” Turner said. “I feel like I make a little bit [of] different decisions.”

    Stott’s gloves are a 12-inch model, which is on the larger side for an infielder — excluding first base, of course. He kept the same one when he made the position switch from second to third base to open a spot for Luis Arraez.

    Turner said his old glove was also 12 inches, but other differences in the glove’s design cause Stott’s to feel longer.

    “It kind of helped me make some plays that I don’t think I was doing perfectly,” he said. “To me, I was thinking about the other day. It’s kind of like using a different bat, whether it’s lighter, heavier, you know, longer, whatever. It’s the same swing, it’s the same player, but sometimes you just get a different feel of it.”

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    Ruiz’s groundout to open Monday’s game had an expected batting average of .260. It’s a play that earlier in the season Turner wasn’t making on a consistent basis.

    Turner’s struggles this season are well-documented. He has posted minus-6 outs above average and minus-11 defensive runs saved at shortstop this season. His 18 errors this year have already surpassed his full-season total of 17 from 2025.

    But Turner also hasn’t made an error since July 27. In August so far, he has recorded plus-3 OAA. He’s been working on not setting up too early on ground balls hit to him, which he identified as an issue leading to his misplays. And even if Turner has only used Stott’s glove in one game so far, he also thinks that’s helping, too.

    Trea Turner hasn’t made an error since July 27Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    The only drawback Turner has found in the borrowed glove is the bigger size made it initially harder to make the transfer from glove to throwing hand. But he didn’t have any problems with that on Monday, and he thinks he’ll stick with it going forward.

    “It’s funny. It’s like sometimes when I think I’m going to transfer well, I transfer bad, and sometimes when I think I’m going to transfer it bad, I transfer it well, and I think it’s just kind of getting used to the glove, and the shape, and stuff like that,” Turner said. “But as far as just like playing shortstop and regular ground balls, it feels good.”

    Extra bases

    Aaron Nola (4-9, 5.33 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday’s series finale opposite Miami right-hander Sandy Alcantara (13-7, 3.43).

  • Cristopher Sánchez earns MLB-leading 16th win as Phillies’ offense holds off Marlins

    Cristopher Sánchez earns MLB-leading 16th win as Phillies’ offense holds off Marlins

    The rain was so heavy during the sixth inning that Derek Hill had to wipe raindrops from the brim of his helmet. Marlins pitcher John King had already asked for a new rosin bag for his slick fingers.

    Even so, the elements didn’t really faze Hill much. The Phillies outfielder, fresh off the bench, punched an RBI single up the middle for his seventh pinch-hit of the season. It helped sustain a key two-run rally in the Phillies’ 6-5 win over Miami on Monday night.

    Hill, who also drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth, said that past failures have prepared him for this role on the Phillies.

    “I’ve been in this role for multiple teams and had ups and downs,” he said. “Just being able to kind of lean on the teammates here. We have an incredible amount of experience, and the coaching staff is incredible. So just being able to put all the pieces together and go out there and execute is pretty awesome to be able to come through.”

    Starter Cristopher Sánchez became the first MLB pitcher to earn 16 wins this season, but it didn’t come easy. He allowed eight hits and walked three, but managed to limit the overall damage to just one run.

    To do it, he had plenty of help. Trea Turner started off the first inning with a big play on a grounder from Esteury Ruiz, making the throw to first while in midair. J.T. Realmuto successfully challenged a ball call on Brian Navarreto in the third inning, flipping it into a strikeout. He also combined with Luis Arraez to catch Ruiz stealing second base.

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    In the fifth, after Sánchez allowed a pair of singles, the Phillies came inches away from turning a triple play. Bryson Stott fielded it, stepped on third, and fired to Arraez. Alec Bohm made a long stretch at first, but Heriberto Hernández beat Arraez’s throw by a step, and the Phillies settled for a double play.

    “They’re a contact-oriented team,” Sánchez said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “I just went out there and took as many innings as I could and get as many scoreless innings as I could and zeros on the board.”

    Through 26 starts this season, Sánchez has a 2.51 ERA. But opposing teams are also hitting .253 against him, up from .227 in 2025.

    On Monday, his fastball velocity trended down a tick, though he did rear back for 96.1 mph, his hardest pitch of the night, in the sixth inning. Overall, interim manager Don Mattingly isn’t concerned about the traffic on the bases.

    “I thought he was good. That was kind of what he does,” Mattingly said. “He gets some traffic and hangs in there, gets the ball on the ground.”

    Justin Crawford celebrates his third inning lead-off double against the Marlins on Monday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    The Phillies offense struck first, and the rally started with the rookie. Justin Crawford tucked a double just inside the left field line to lead off the third inning, turning the lineup back over to Kyle Schwarber. He struck out on a pitch below the zone, but Turner cashed in Crawford with a single to left.

    Bryce Harper drew a walk — extending his walk streak to eight consecutive games — before Arraez singled to score another. The Phillies threatened even more, loading the bases for Brandon Marsh, but he grounded into a force out to end it there.

    After Sánchez escaped a few jams, a leadoff double came back to haunt him in the sixth when Griffin Conine lined a sinker into left field to get the Marlins on the board.

    The Phillies’ playoff chances are complicated by one of MLB’s toughest remaining schedules

    Both teams played through rains that drifted through during the middle innings, but it wasn’t enough to stop play. Nor did it stifle the Phillies offense. Following Hill’s RBI single in the sixth, Schwarber sent a sacrifice fly to center. It wasn’t very deep, but the throw was off line and Realmuto made a perfect slide at the plate to score another run.

    “It’s one of the times you just want to keep scoring,” Mattingly said. “You don’t want to let anybody back in, but they did. They kept coming tonight. Seemed like every time they they scored, though, we were able to answer back, which was huge.”

    The Phillies caught a break in the seventh. With Jonathan Bowlan in to pitch for Sánchez, he gave up a bases-loaded hit to Javier Sanoja that was incorrectly called foul by first base umpire Shane Livensparger. The ruling was overturned by a Marlins challenge, and MLB replay officials determined that two runs scored, placing Otto Lopez on third and Sanoja on second.

    Due to Lopez’s speed, it’s possible he would have also scored if the initial call had been fair. But instead, Bowlan battled back with a strikeout to preserve the Phillies’ lead at 4-3.

    Marlins manager Clayton McCullough was ejected for arguing the ruling.

    “It’s tough to just give them the third run when you don’t see the play, but their guy does run good. Lopez runs good,” Mattingly said. “I wouldn’t have been shocked if they gave it to him. Glad they didn’t.”

    Even though the pesky Marlins had narrowed the lead, the Phillies struck back again, scoring a run without recording a hit in the seventh. Bohm was hit by a pitch, Stott reached on a fielder’s choice error, and Realmuto and Hill drew back-to-back walks to force in a run. Realmuto was initially called out on strikes but used an ABS challenge to flip it to a walk.

    Inside the hitters’ meeting that sparked the Phillies’ on-base percentage turnaround this month

    And when the Marlins homered off Brooks Raley in the eighth, the Phillies had one more response in them. An RBI single from Bohm gave Jhoan Duran back a two-run cushion for the ninth.

    The Phillies closer needed 33 pitches the night before to close out the series finale in Minnesota, but Mattingly checked in on him after he played catch Monday afternoon. Duran told Mattingly he was good to go.

    “Kind of trust him, where he’s at,” Mattingly said. “If he says he’s not feeling great today, then he’s down. Simple as that. And then you kind of plan accordingly.”

    By the time he jogged out to the mound, the skies had cleared. Duran conceded one run on two hits, but induced a pop out and groundout to pick up his 27th save.

    “That’s what we’re going to have to do down the stretch here,” Mattingly said. “Any good team out there, they’re going to keep playing and keep figuring out ways to win games. Sometimes we’re going to have to score, sometimes we’re going to have to pitch. We’re going to have to catch it. So it is good that we’re finding some ways.”

  • Don Mattingly remembers former Yankees teammate Tommy John as ‘a really great person’

    Don Mattingly remembers former Yankees teammate Tommy John as ‘a really great person’

    Tommy John is widely known across the baseball world for the elbow surgery that bears his name and has renewed thousands of pitchers’ careers.

    But to Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly, he was better known as a fellow Indiana native.

    John died Saturday at age 83. Mattingly took some time on Monday to remember his former teammate. The two played together on the Yankees in 1982 and again from 1986 to 1989.

    Inside the hitters’ meeting that sparked the Phillies’ on-base percentage turnaround this month

    “Tommy obviously was really a great person as far as the way he treated people,” Mattingly said. “Playing with him was interesting because it was obviously toward the end of his career, but just the competitiveness of him and the way he went about it.”

    Mattingly played with John after he underwent the eponymous surgery to reconstruct his torn UCL in 1974, a revolutionary procedure invented and performed by Dodgers doctor Frank Jobe. He became the first MLB player to return from elbow reconstruction surgery and played for 14 more years, pitching to a 3.34 career ERA and 2,245 career strikeouts.

    “Tommy is one of those guys from Indiana. We always talked about Indiana,” said Mattingly, an Evansville native. “It’s close, actually; Terre Haute’s like 100 miles away. A lot of time in my youth is going there to play basketball tournaments, baseball tournaments, things like that.”

    Mattingly also remembered a moment from a spring training game one year in West Palm Beach.

    “I forgot, but I think it was Joe Hesketh pitching against [us] this spring training,” Mattingly said. “Tommy was pitching, so he had to hit, and he was just shoving it on us the whole time.

    “And Tommy gets up and hits a two-iron off the wall in left-center. And I’m like, ‘Jesus!’ He made it look easy.”

    Phillies shortstop Trea Turner was back hitting second in the lineup for Monday’s game.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Turner returns

    Trea Turner was back in the Phillies lineup Monday after sitting out Sunday’s series finale in Minnesota. He was confident he had avoided major injury after fouling a pitch off his upper right leg on Saturday, but the Phillies didn’t want to take any chances with the shortstop and held him out. One of Turner’s best assets at the top of the Phillies lineup is his speed, which ranks in the 98th percentile of the sport.

    But on Monday, Turner was back to full go. He was back in the No. 2 spot in the order, which has been Turner’s customary place in the lineup since the club acquired Luis Arraez at the trade deadline.

    Trea Turner isn’t moving off shortstop (yet). The Phillies’ goal for now: Help him get better.

    “I think he’s 100 [percent],” Mattingly said. “I’m sure he’s got some soreness to touch in areas, but that’s something at this point in the year that shouldn’t slow anybody down. Probably more bruised than injury.”

    Bryce Harper was in the lineup in right field for the sixth consecutive game. Mattingly said he feels comfortable running Harper out as the everyday right fielder so long as his medicals allow it. He said Harper’s left knee “has been fine.”

    Harper has been dealing with soreness in his knee that was aggravated by his return to the outfield, but the issue has not risen to the point where Harper needed a day off entirely.

    Extra bases

    Caleb Kilian (left oblique strain) is “starting to feel better” and moving around, but is still not throwing yet. Mattingly said Kilian is expected to possibly be available to return by the end of the season. … Rafael Marchán (left knee patellar tendinitis) is continuing to build up on his rehab assignment for triple-A Lehigh Valley and is scheduled to play nine innings on Tuesday … Zack Wheeler (10-4, 2.89 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday. Miami’s starting pitcher has not yet been announced.