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Author: Lochlahn March

  • Phillies blow a six-run lead to get swept out of Miami: ‘We expect better of ourselves’

    Phillies blow a six-run lead to get swept out of Miami: ‘We expect better of ourselves’

    MIAMI — As the offense poured on six runs in the first five innings, it felt like the Phillies were back on track, at least for the moment.

    But it didn’t take long for another of the team’s weaknesses to become magnified.

    The Phillies’ latest pitching collapse led to an 8-6 loss to Miami on Wednesday, squandering a game they had once comfortably led 6-0. The Marlins had started the series on a franchise-record 12-game losing streak, and they ended it by sweeping the Phillies out of South Florida.

    “We’re just not playing complementary baseball,” said Trea Turner. “Feels like when we hit, we don’t pitch as well, and when we pitch well, we don’t hit. It’s just frustrating.”

    Don Mattingly on Bryce Harper’s belief the Phillies need ‘help’ at deadline: ‘Players like being GMs’

    In a pivotal spot in the seventh inning, interim manager Don Mattingly opted to go with righty Seth Johnson, and he struggled to command his pitches. After he left a slider up in the zone for Xavier Edwards, who capitalized with a two-run single, the Marlins had come all the way back to tie it at 6.

    The Phillies have played 29 one-run games — over a quarter of the season so far — and they have taken their toll on the back end of the bullpen. Both Orion Kerkering and José Alvarado were unavailable Wednesday after pitching two nights in a row. That left Jonathan Bowlan as the highest-leverage arm available, outside of closer Jhoan Duran.

    When Mattingly went to make a pitching change for starter Jesús Luzardo with one out in the seventh, he decided to save Bowlan for the eighth, even though the tying run was already on first.

    “Trying to get a short amount of outs [for Johnson], compared to Bowlan trying to get more,” Mattingly said.

    Jesús Luzardo gave up six earned runs in 6⅓ innings against the Marlins on Wednesday.Rebecca Blackwell

    When Bowlan did enter in the eighth, now in a 6-6 game, Miami delivered the knockout punch. Pinch-hitting Griffin Conine — who had walked off the series opener against Duran — sent a two-run homer out of the deepest part of the ballpark.

    The collapse stung all the more because the offense had shown some promising signs early. By the end of the third inning, the Phillies had already matched their hit total of four from the night prior. And unlike in Tuesday’s 1-0 loss, they had some runs to show for it, after Bryson Stott’s double drove in two.

    The Phillies tacked on another run in the fourth with a sacrifice fly, and sparked another rally in the fifth. Turner, who started at designated hitter with Kyle Schwarber unavailable due to a gastrointestinal illness, started things off with a solo homer.

    The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    Stott walked, before Harper tucked an RBI triple just inside the right field foul line. A single from Alec Bohm brought Harper home, but that would prove to be the Phillies’ final hit of the day.

    “We expect better of ourselves,” Turner said.

    Even so, a 6-0 buffer should have been plenty for Luzardo. While the bullpen has been a weakness for the Phillies for most of the season, their top three starters have been relied on to carry the load. And Luzardo was cruising early against his former team, until a lapse in the fifth helped Miami halve the Phillies’ lead.

    Esteury Ruiz hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on an RBI groundout. Luzardo also hit Miami’s No. 8 hitter with a pitch, but he was a strike away from getting out of the jam when Heriberto Hernández blasted a two-run homer on a 3-2 changeup elevated in the zone.

    Don Mattingly’s Phillies have lost seven of their last eight games and nine of 12 games since the All-Star break.Rebecca Blackwell

    “My own fault,” Luzardo said. “Lefty on deck, I had a lot of things in my mind. Probably should have thrown something else, or been a little more aggressive with it. And that’s why I was kicking myself afterwards, just knowing who was on deck and just giving in on a 3-2 pitch.”

    He got into more trouble in the seventh. Ruiz started things off again, this time with a leadoff single. He stole second and then advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher J.T. Realmuto.

    The key at-bat came against Miami’s nine-hole hitter, lefty Jakob Marsee. Luzardo jumped ahead in the count 1-2, but ultimately lost the battle by issuing a walk. It turned the lineup back over to Otto Lopez, who singled off a changeup below the zone to score another run and end Luzardo’s day.

    “Frustrating,” Luzardo said. “We knew they were going to come out a little hungry after losing 12 in a row. But I mean, just frustrating the way it happened.”

    With the trade deadline looming, Bryce Harper says Phillies ‘need some help’

    After Miami tied the game, the Phillies offense had no response. They went down in order in the eighth and ninth inning to seal their latest deflating loss.

    This marks the first time the Phillies have been swept in a series since their 10-game losing streak in April, which cost Rob Thomson his job as manager. But this skid feels a little different.

    For one thing, time is running out.

    “Earlier, those things happen, you try to learn from it, and now at this point in the year, you gotta find a way to win ball games,” Turner said. “And it’s kind of go time. So got to figure it out.”

    There surely will be changes to the roster in the coming days as the trade deadline approaches on Monday. But for Mattingly, now is when the true test of his club begins.

    “Now’s the time that we’re going to find out what we’re made of,” Mattingly said. “We’ve been through a struggle. We’ve let everybody stay in the race. So we find out who we are over these next couple of months.”

  • Don Mattingly on Bryce Harper’s belief the Phillies need ‘help’ at deadline: ‘Players like being GMs’

    Don Mattingly on Bryce Harper’s belief the Phillies need ‘help’ at deadline: ‘Players like being GMs’

    MIAMI — Less than an hour after the Phillies suffered their fourth consecutive series loss after the All-Star break, Bryce Harper threw down the proverbial gauntlet.

    “I think we need some help,” Harper said. “I think we’ve proved pretty much all year, we’ve done a pretty good job, but anytime you can get some help in here and reinforcements, I think it helps.”

    With the trade deadline approaching at 6 p.m. on Monday, Harper said he thinks the Phillies need upgrades in the pitching staff and the lineup. It was a clear message to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and the front office.

    The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    It’s a message that interim manager Don Mattingly doesn’t necessarily like. Mattingly, whose son Preston works under Dombrowski as the Phillies’ general manager, said he doesn’t think the rest of the team is focused on the upcoming deadline.

    “I sense Bryce thinking about it, I don’t really sense anybody else thinking about it, honestly,” Mattingly said. “And you’ve been through this. Guys want to be GMs. What you need, without a real understanding of where the organization is, exactly where this thing goes, not only this year, but moving forward. So again, players like being GMs and making calls and spending other people’s money, so just let it go at that.

    “I mean, they’ve been doing this a while. Never really backed away trying to get guys. We’re trying to get better. We’re going to try to get better at the deadline.”

    Bryce Harper was batting .165 with 28 strikeouts in 79 at-bats in July going into Wednesday’s game.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    As manager, Mattingly’s focus is on getting improvements out of the players who are on the 26-man roster until the point that additions or subtractions are made.

    And despite the Phillies’ recent struggles — they entered Wednesday’s series finale in Miami with a 3-8 record since the All-Star break — he believes those improvements will come.

    “How do I feel right now about how we’re playing, that hasn’t been great,” Mattingly said. “I feel good about our team. I felt that way the whole time. … Obviously, we’re in a period of time that we haven’t played great since the break.”

    Two players who could help the Phillies address their biggest trade deadline need

    He added that he wasn’t necessarily bothered by Harper’s comments, but he didn’t like that they could be construed as criticism of the players currently on the team.

    “I think you’re always trying to get better. You should always incrementally try to get better, no matter who you are,” Mattingly said. “If you’re the Dodgers, who won two straight [World Series], they’re trying to get better in different ways. We’re in the same boat, right? You’re always trying to get better, but if you say something about our team, then you’re saying something about one of our players that you don’t like.”

    Mattingly said he doesn’t feel the need to discuss this with Harper, though.

    “I mean, Bryce is going to say what he wants, so I’m not really concerned about it,” he said. “I take it kind of with a grain of salt, and knowing how players are over the years. It’s not the first time I’ve heard this. … I always look at it internally. I got to get better. We got to get better, and it’s as simple as that.”

    Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber was out of the lineup again on Wednesday due to an illness.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Schwarber out again

    Kyle Schwarber was out of the Phillies lineup Wednesday for the second consecutive game with a gastrointestinal illness. Mattingly said he wasn’t sure if Schwarber would improve enough to be available off the bench in an emergency situation.

    “[He’s] kind of the same. Yeah. He may be a little better, but obviously not in there,” Mattingly said.

    Schwarber missed three games in May with a similar issue. In his absence on Wednesday, Trea Turner got the start at designated hitter. Edmundo Sosa took over at shortstop against Marlins right-handed starter Ryan Gusto.

    Andrew Painter had a solid week in triple A. Is he an option to rejoin the Phillies’ rotation soon?

    Mattingly said giving Turner a day to reset from his defensive struggles this season — in the series opener, he committed his 19th error of the season and seventh since the All-Star break at shortstop — was not a factor in his decision. Instead, he wanted to get Turner a day off the turf at loanDepot Park, after previously giving Harper a day at designated hitter on Tuesday.

    “More just getting him off his feet,” Mattingly said. “Kind of feel like we’re getting him back to the point where his legs are good and all that, so try to keep it there.”

    Derek Hill, who has not appeared in a game since July 25 with “lower body stuff,” according to Mattingly, has improved, but the Phillies manager was unsure if he would be available off the bench Wednesday.

    Extra bases

    The Phillies announced that reliever Brad Keller underwent successful surgery on his right elbow in Texas on Wednesday. Keller is expected to return to pitch in 13-16 months. … Outfielder Bryan De La Cruz got another start against a right-hander on Wednesday after a two-hit night on Tuesday.. … The Phillies have not yet announced who is set to open Friday’s series opener against Baltimore, which is expected to be a bullpen game. Right-hander Brandon Young (8-2, 3.13 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Orioles.

  • With the trade deadline looming, Bryce Harper says Phillies ‘need some help’

    With the trade deadline looming, Bryce Harper says Phillies ‘need some help’

    MIAMI — With the MLB trade deadline days away, Bryce Harper believes the Phillies have some shopping to do.

    Tuesday night’s 1-0 loss to the Marlins marked the club’s fourth consecutive series loss after the All-Star break, and it came against a team that had lost 12 straight games until it met the Phillies. Afterward, Harper was straightforward about how he views the club entering Monday’s trade deadline.

    “I think we need some help,” he said. “I think we’ve proved pretty much all year, we’ve done a pretty good job, but anytime you can get some help in here and reinforcements, I think it helps.”

    It’s no secret that the Phillies need a right-handed hitting outfielder. The Phillies’ current crop of righty bats have a .221 batting average and .640 OPS, which rank last in baseball. They also have struggled for most of the season against left-handed pitching.

    But the Phillies’ lack of pitching depth, in the rotation and bullpen, also has become magnified. The team has lost the last 11 games started by the No. 5 spot in their rotation, while the bullpen has been a revolving door of struggles and injuries.

    The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    Both of Dave Dombrowski’s major offseason adds, Adolis García (right latissimus dorsi tear) and Brad Keller (UCL tear in his right elbow), are out for the year because of injury.

    When asked whether the help would be best in the form of an arm or a bat, Harper’s answer was straightforward.

    “I think both,” he said. “I think obviously everybody knows what we need. … We need both.”

    Is he confident the Phillies will have reinforcements in both come Monday night?

    “I don’t know. We’ll see,” he said. “I mean, that’s a Dave question. So, yeah, I mean, we’ll see.”

  • Without Kyle Schwarber, Phillies blanked by Sandy Alcantara and the Marlins

    Without Kyle Schwarber, Phillies blanked by Sandy Alcantara and the Marlins

    MIAMI — It got to the point where Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly started making a list.

    Sitting in the visitors’ dugout, watching well-hit ball after well-hit ball result in outs against the Marlins, he began marking them down.

    • Third inning: Trea Turner line out to left field (101.7 mph exit velocity)
    • Fourth inning: Bryce Harper fly out to center field (106 mph)
    • Fourth inning: Alec Bohm fly out to right field (99.3 mph)
    • Fifth inning: Garrett Stubbs line out to center field (97.7 mph)
    • Seventh inning: Edmundo Sosa line out to third base (106 mph)

    “Not that they’re all going to be hits, but those balls are hit good, so I was halfway OK with that,” Mattingly said. “Obviously, you want to score more runs.”

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    If one or two of those had fallen, the story of Tuesday night’s 1-0 loss to Miami could have been different. But moral victories mean little for a team with playoff expectations and a floundering offense as the trade deadline closes in.

    In reality, the Phillies mustered four hits against the Marlins, with outfielder Bryan De La Cruz accounting for half of those. Miami starter Sandy Alcantara took a no-hitter into the fifth inning until De La Cruz broke it up with an infield single.

    The lackluster offensive performance wasted a solid outing from Aaron Nola, who surrendered only one run over 5⅔ innings.

    “Sandy was on point pretty well tonight,” Harper said. “Yeah, that’s one obviously I thought we could have won, with the swings we took tonight and the way Nola pitched.”

    He added that he thought his fourth-inning fly out was gone, until Marlins center fielder Jakob Marsee made a jumping catch right at the wall. Harper had squared up a cutter from Alcantara at the bottom of the zone.

    Bohm was the only other Phillie to record a hit on Tuesday, with a single in the sixth.

    The offense was without National League home run leader Kyle Schwarber, who was unavailable because of a gastrointestinal illness. But even before Schwarber was on the shelf, the team had been scuffling. They have lost four consecutive series out of the All-Star break.

    The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    “I don’t think it’s a bad stretch. I think we’ve run into some really good pitching,” Harper said. “Some buzz saws, actually.”

    Harper pointed to the Mets’ Nolan McLean, the Yankees’ Cam Schlittler and Ryan Weathers, and Alcantara as pitchers who have befuddled the Phillies offense recently.

    But for a team to go the distance in October, they must find a way to succeed against top-tier arms. With the trade deadline approaching on Monday, Harper is hoping for reinforcements.

    “I think we need some help,” Harper said. “I think we’ve proved pretty much all year, we’ve done a pretty good job, but anytime you can get some help in here and reinforcements, I think it helps.”

    Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara allowed four hits in seven shutout innings against the Phillies on Tuesday.Lynne Sladky

    The fruitless offense on Tuesday was even more deflating considering Nola’s outing. He made just one costly mistake, hanging a curveball to Kyle Stowers in the first inning that he promptly sent 390 feet to right-center field. It marked the 26th homer Nola has allowed this year, which is the second-most among all pitchers.

    But that was the only run he allowed. Nola worked around five hits and three walks to keep it a 1-0 ballgame and give his offense a chance. He found that his curveball didn’t have as much bite as normal, so he leaned more on his changeup.

    “Changeup used to be one of my better pitches. I worked on it a lot this year just to try to get it to where I want to feel it, and lately it’s been a lot better than it has been the past couple years,” Nola said. “I feel like it makes the game a little bit smoother and opens the curveball up a little bit.”

    With the trade deadline looming, Bryce Harper says Phillies ‘need some help’

    Of the 93 pitches Nola threw, 34 were changeups, which he mixed in to lefties and righties.

    Nola got into some trouble after retiring the first two batters in the sixth inning. Xavier Edwards drew a four-pitch walk, and, although Tim Mayza had been warming, Mattingly left Nola in to face left-hander Liam Hicks for the third time.

    Hicks singled to put runners on the corners, and Mayza then took over. He struck out pinch-hitting righty Esteury Ruiz to leave them there. After that, José Alvarado and Orion Kerkering delivered a scoreless seventh and eighth, respectively.

    “They kept giving us chances. We just weren’t able to break through,” Mattingly said.

    With one final opportunity, the Phillies went down in order against Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks. Sosa struck out on a pitch well above the zone to end it.

    “We’re still in good spot. We just got to get through this and fight through it,” Mattingly said. “It’s like a slump offensively. You’re going to keep going, and you’re counting on it to turn. That comes with work.”

  • Illness keeps Kyle Schwarber out of lineup; Phillies not concerned about Zack Wheeler

    Illness keeps Kyle Schwarber out of lineup; Phillies not concerned about Zack Wheeler

    MIAMI — Kyle Schwarber was out of the Phillies lineup on Tuesday with an illness, interim manager Don Mattingly said.

    It is a similar gastrointestinal issue to the one that caused Schwarber to miss three games in May. In his absence, Bryson Stott moved to second in the batting order against Sandy Alcantara and the Marlins, behind Trea Turner at leadoff.

    “I hope it’s a day, but we’ll see,” Mattingly said.

    Before the illness, Schwarber was scheduled to start at first base Tuesday to give Bryce Harper a game at designated hitter. Alec Bohm instead moved over to first, and Edmundo Sosa took over at third base.

    The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    The Phillies’ bench was short on Tuesday. Derek Hill has been dealing with what Mattingly described as “lower-half stuff,” and has not appeared in a game since Saturday.

    “We expect D-Hill back in a day or so, where he’s kind of full-go again, where I can use him in different ways,” Mattingly said pregame on Tuesday.

    Bryan De La Cruz got the start in right field against the right-handed Alcantara over Gabriel Rincones Jr., who went 0-for-3 on Monday. Rincones has a .171 average in 28 games since being called up in June.

    “Rico’s been given a decent runway against right-handed pitching. Hasn’t been as good as we’d like,” Mattingly said. “De La’s been getting his hits, and I know he’s going to be solid in the outfield and all that. So I don’t feel like it’s going to be worse than what we’re seeing.”

    Zack Wheeler lasted just three innings against the Marlins on Monday and allowed five runs.Lynne Sladky

    No concerns about Wheeler

    Even though Zack Wheeler’s average fastball velocity was down 1.7 mph in his start on Monday, neither he nor Mattingly expressed concern afterward that a health issue contributed to the drop.

    All of Wheeler’s pitches trended down in the three innings he pitched in the 8-7 loss to Miami, which was his shortest outing since 2022. But he said physically he felt fine, even though the ball was not coming out the way he wanted it to.

    “Just no excuse. It’s just one of those days for me. Stinks, but it is what it is, I guess,” Wheeler said.

    On Tuesday, the Phillies maintained that there was no concern about an injury affecting him.

    “Nothing medical has come our way,” Mattingly said.

    Catcher Garrett Stubbs was back in the Phillies lineup on Tuesday against the Marlins.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Stubbs returns

    Backup catcher Garrett Stubbs was reinstated from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and was in the Phillies lineup. Stubbs had been on the shelf with left wrist inflammation and had not appeared behind the plate in a game since July 5. His last two appearances before the injury were pitching in blowout games.

    As a corresponding move, catcher Payton Henry was optioned to triple-A Lehigh Valley. Henry was recalled Friday when Rafael Marchán also wound up on the injured list with patellar tendinitis in his left knee, but did not appear in a game. J.T. Realmuto started four consecutive games instead and got the day off on Tuesday.

    Andrew Painter had a solid week in triple A. Is he an option to rejoin the Phillies’ rotation soon?

    Realmuto has been swinging a hot bat lately, with a .395 batting average and .942 OPS since July 11. That included a ground-rule double in Monday’s loss to the Marlins.

    Extra bases

    Brad Keller (torn UCL in right elbow) received a second opinion on his injury and will decide the next step soon. … Jesús Luzardo (9-5, 3.31 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday’s 12:10 p.m. series finale. The Marlins’ scheduled starter has not been announced.

  • Zack Wheeler and Jhoan Duran struggle in walk-off loss to Marlins: ‘Just one of those games’

    Zack Wheeler and Jhoan Duran struggle in walk-off loss to Marlins: ‘Just one of those games’

    MIAMI — The sinker from Zack Wheeler clocked 91.3 mph.

    Javier Sanoja whiffed on it anyway, biting on the inside fastball. But the radar gun didn’t lie. Wheeler’s pitch, which has lived around 95 mph this season, had lost more than just a tick.

    In fact, all of Wheeler’s pitches trended down on Monday against the Marlins. The sinker to Sanoja turned out to be Wheeler’s third-to-last of the night. After Sanoja grounded out back to the mound on a sweeper that didn’t reach 80 mph, the Phillies opted to lift Wheeler after just three innings.

    Both Wheeler and interim manager Don Mattingly said postgame that there were no injury concerns.

    Phillies bullpen gets closer to full strength going into Marlins series

    “Just one of those games, one of those days. Just wasn’t coming out,” Wheeler said. “No excuse.”

    Even after an uncharacteristic performance by one of their aces, the Phillies managed to battle back. They were three outs away from handing Miami its 13th consecutive loss when another pillar of the pitching staff wavered. The Marlins walked it off, 8-7, on closer Jhoan Duran, handing him his second blown save of the year.

    “It was a weird game that they got to two of our very best pitchers,” said catcher J.T. Realmuto. “That’s just kind of one you got to tip your cap to that lineup over there.”

    Wheeler felt like something was off even in the bullpen pregame. But unlike in past outings, things didn’t improve when the game started. Wheeler walked out to the mound in the first inning already with a two-run lead, courtesy of a home run from Bryce Harper, and it evaporated almost immediately.

    Zack Wheeler and interim manager Don Mattingly said postgame that there were no injury concerns after the ace’s rough start on Monday. Lynne Sladky

    It started with another defensive breakdown after Otto Lopez led off the bottom of the inning with a single. When he stole second, Realmuto’s throw deflected off Bryson Stott’s glove and wound up with Trea Turner. His throw to third base then got away from Alec Bohm, and, propelled by the two errors, Lopez dashed home.

    “Obviously when Harp hits the homer to start the game, you’re like ‘OK,’ and you got Wheels. You’re feeling pretty good. Obviously, that changed pretty quickly,” Mattingly said.

    Because Heriberto Hernández homered two pitches later — on a 93.2 mph sinker — Lopez’s run was still charged to Wheeler. It was the first of five he would allow on Monday, the most Wheeler has given up in an outing since May 29, 2025. Over his three innings, the Marlins racked up six hits, including two homers.

    “One of those days that you see the velocity right away, 93, didn’t seem like it had that same little zip,” Mattingly said. “Usually, you don’t have the zip on the fastball, the breaking ball is not going to be quite as sharp. … He said he felt physically fine, just the ball wasn’t coming out, as far as arm and stuff.”

    ‘I’m tired of people thinking that I’m an easy out’: Alec Bohm delivers after intentional walk in Phillies’ win

    Mattingly added that the Phillies trainers reported Wheeler felt nauseous following the game, but Wheeler refused to use that as an excuse.

    “That didn’t really affect me out there,” he said. “Ball just wasn’t coming out like I wanted it to. Body wasn’t moving like I wanted it to. I was trying to get through it. Some games I can. Just today I couldn’t.”

    Wheeler’s splitter was the only pitch that was somewhat effective, as he recorded four of his six strikeouts with it. His four-seam fastball averaged 93.5 mph, down from 95.2 mph, and it did not induce a single swing-and-miss.

    When Mattingly brought in Kyle Backhus for the fourth, the Phillies were trailing, 5-2. Starting pitching has carried the Phillies this season, while the bullpen outside of Duran has been shaky. But on a night when two of their best pitchers faltered, it was the other relievers who gave the team a fighting chance.

    Phillies closer Jhoan Duran had not allowed a run since June 9 going into Monday’s game.Lynne Sladky

    Backhus covered two scoreless, while José Alvarado, Jonathan Bowlan, and Orion Kerkering pitched an inning to bridge the gap to Duran.

    The offense stepped up, too. A four-hit, four-run sixth inning, highlighted by a ground-rule double from Realmuto, put the Phillies back in front. Realmuto also drove in an insurance run in the eighth for a 7-5 lead, hitting a sacrifice fly to score Stott after he tripled.

    “Being able to pick Zack up like that, after all the times that he’s picked us up in the last seven years, that would have been nice to do,” Realmuto said.

    Andrew Painter had a solid week in triple A. Is he an option to rejoin the Phillies’ rotation soon?

    The Phillies were confident when Duran took the ball to close it out, and for good reason. Entering Monday’s game, the club had been 49-0 entering the ninth inning with a lead this season. Duran had not allowed a run since June 9.

    But things started to feel precarious when back-to-back ground balls found holes in the infield, bringing the winning run to the plate. Neither were hit hard. Lopez’s single had a .080 expected batting average according to StatCast, but it got past a diving Harper.

    “They do a lot of soft contact, so I can’t do anything about that,” Duran said.

    The Marlins’ Griffin Conine (center) celebrates with his teammates after hitting a walk-off single to score Heriberto Hernández and beat the Phillies on Monday in Miami.Lynne Sladky

    Duran then hit Kyle Stowers with a pitch to load the bases. Hernández worked a full count and sent the payoff pitch up the middle to tie the game. Of the five hits Duran gave up, Hernández’s was the only one hit harder than 95 mph.

    Griffin Conine was ultimately the hero for Miami, delivering the walk-off single to snap the Marlins’ losing streak at 12.

    It was a deflating loss, at the expense of two pitchers who have each anchored many of the Phillies’ wins this year. But neither Wheeler nor Duran have any long term concerns about what unfolded Monday night. Nor does Mattingly.

    “Just one of those days. You have a bad day once in a while, I’m sure,” Wheeler said. “So this is one of those days.”

  • Phillies bullpen gets closer to full strength going into Marlins series

    Phillies bullpen gets closer to full strength going into Marlins series

    The Phillies’ 11-4 win over the Yankees on Sunday ended a four-game slide, and it also provided a needed reset for the bullpen heading into this week’s road trip.

    Cristopher Sánchez turned the ball over to Tim Mayza for the seventh inning on Sunday, and Chase Shugart pitched the last two innings. The Phillies’ 11 runs were crucial, because several of their higher-leverage relief arms were on the shelf.

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    José Alvarado and Jonathan Bowlan were unavailable Sunday after appearing in two consecutive games. The bullpen was stretched even thinner as Orion Kerkering was down for four days with flu-like symptoms, but the righty is back to full health and was available on Monday, according to interim manager Don Mattingly.

    “He played catch, but we weren’t willing to use him [Sunday],” Mattingly said. “But now he’s back, so that helps, too.”

    The unit will be closer to full strength as they meet a scuffling Marlins team that entered Monday on a 12-game losing streak, which has them three games back of the final wild-card spot. But even so, the Phillies know they can’t afford to take any team lightly.

    “We’re not exactly on fire,” Mattingly said. “And I think our guys understand that we got to win games, and Miami’s a tough team. They do a lot of things. They run, they mix and match you. Before that streak, they were one of the hottest teams in baseball. So those things cannot be part of the equation, right? Our thought should be to jump them early and try to keep them down, right? Make them not ride that, get a wave going their direction. We’re trying to create our own wave.”

    Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (left) said his team isn’t in position to take the Marlins lightly. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    After dropping three straight series at home against the Mets, Dodgers, and Yankees, posting a 3-6 record, the Phillies have a more forgiving schedule coming up. As of Monday’s standings, the Phillies’ next 10 series are against teams out of playoff position.

    Fifth starter spot

    Mattingly maintains that he doesn’t want to use Thursday’s off day to skip the fifth spot in the starting rotation, even though the Phillies have lost 11 consecutive games started by that spot.

    The Phillies are expected to go with a bullpen game on Friday at Baltimore, and Brian Keller is expected to play a role in it after making his long-awaited major league debut on Saturday.

    “He threw strikes, got outs, gave us three innings. Kind of what we were looking for that day. … It was one of our better bullpen games, I think,” Mattingly said of Keller.

    Schwarber to start at first Tuesday

    Kyle Schwarber took ground balls at first base again Monday. He is expected to start there on Tuesday, while Mattingly will give Bryce Harper what he described as a “half day” by starting him at designated hitter. Schwarber played 10 innings at first earlier this season and made five putouts in five chances.

    Andrew Painter had a solid week in triple A. Is he an option to rejoin the Phillies’ rotation soon?

    Schwarber moving back into the field for a day will give Harper a chance to reset at the plate. He has a .156 average and .607 OPS in nine games since the break.

    Harper has particularly struggled against left-handers of late. In 34 plate appearances against lefties in July, Harper has recorded just two hits. He has drawn five walks but has struck out 13 times.

    Bryce Harper has a .156 average and .607 OPS in nine games since the break. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Extra bases

    Backup catcher Garrett Stubbs (left wrist inflammation) is eligible to come off the injured list on Tuesday. Since Rafael Marchán was placed on the injured list with patellar tendinitis in his left knee on July 23, J.T. Realmuto has started four straight games. His bat has heated up after the All-Star break with a .379 average in 29 at-bats. “For me, the biggest thing when J.T.’s good, he’s in his legs, and the leg kick’s not quite as big,” Mattingly said. “J.T.’s kind of getting back to looking like himself.” … Aaron Nola (3-8, 5.82 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday against Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara (10-6, 4.01).

  • Phillies players react to LeBron James’ decision to play for Sixers: ‘Really cool for the city’

    Phillies players react to LeBron James’ decision to play for Sixers: ‘Really cool for the city’

    At 16 years old, Bryce Harper was dubbed the “Chosen One” on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

    Tom Verducci’s 2009 cover story invoked the nickname previously given to 17-year-old LeBron James on his 2002 SI cover and drew parallels between the two prodigies. Verducci went as far as calling Harper “Baseball’s LeBron.”

    Nearly two decades later, Harper and James will play in the same city.

    “One of the best to ever do it, being able to come in and enjoy that club over there. Obviously, they got good young group over there that are a lot of fun to play with,” Harper said. “So, really cool for the city, him coming.”

    Harper added that he wasn’t surprised that James chose the 76ers.

    “They’re really good,” he said.

    The buzz around James’ two-year deal with the Sixers had reached the Phillies clubhouse ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Yankees. Hours after news of the contract broke, a screen outside Citizens Bank Park projected an image of James in a Sixers uniform with the message, “Welcome to Philly, LeBron!”

    Excitement over the LeBron James decision permeated the city on Friday and made its way into the Phillies clubhouse as well. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Jhoan Duran, Bryson Stott, and Cristopher Sánchez were among the Phillies who posted images of James on their Instagram stories on Friday.

    Trea Turner, a Boynton Beach, Fla. native, grew up a fan of the Miami Heat and watched James lead them to back-to-back championships. He said he was excited for those who haven’t had the chance to see James play get that opportunity.

    “The additions have been crazy,” he said of the Sixers. “I felt like they had a good core, and adding [Jaylen] Brown and LeBron, I think it’s going to be pretty special. So hopefully they stay healthy and come together and win a bunch of games.”

    Harper and James have met once at the ESPYs, an annual sports awards show produced by ESPN. In 2016, James beat out Harper, Cam Newton, and Steph Curry for Best Male Athlete.

    Harper is now more than halfway through his 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies that then was the richest in North American sports. He had no advice to offer James — “he knows exactly what he needs to do,” Harper said — but wished him the best.

    “Just obviously a great city to come play in fan base-wise, sports-wise, feel like the city’s in a really good spot with all the teams right now, from us, to the Sixers, to the Eagles, to the Flyers making postseason this year as well,” Harper said. “So just a really good spot to be in.”

  • Phillies call up catcher Payton Henry as Rafael Marchán joins Garrett Stubbs on the IL

    Phillies call up catcher Payton Henry as Rafael Marchán joins Garrett Stubbs on the IL

    For most of the season, the Phillies have carried three catchers on their roster.

    In the span of four days, both backups — Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs — have been placed on the injured list.

    Stubbs landed on the shelf Tuesday with left wrist inflammation. Marchán departed Wednesday’s game in the middle of the ninth inning with left knee pain, and imaging Thursday revealed patellar tendinitis.

    Interim manager Don Mattingly said the news was better than feared.

    “We were worried about a tear,” he said. “They haven’t given us a real timetable, but it didn’t sound like it was extended. … I do feel like they’re pretty encouraged, get the inflammation out of there, calm it down, and see where it goes.”

    Marchán played 32 games for the Phillies this year. The switch-hitter has a .102 batting average and has posted plus-5 defensive runs saved at catcher. Stubbs has made 20 appearances, including four as a position player pitcher in blowouts. In 28 at-bats, Stubbs has a .179 batting average.

    It’s clear what the Phillies need at the trade deadline. Do they have the prospect capital to get it?

    Stubbs’ placement on the injured list was retroactive to July 18. Mattingly hopes he will be ready to return once the 10 days are up on Tuesday.

    Until then, Payton Henry was recalled from triple-A Lehigh Valley to serve as J.T. Realmuto’s backup. Henry has a .201 average with four home runs in 55 games in triple A this season. He was 20-for-47 in catching attempted base stealers.

    Henry, 29, last played in the major leagues in 2022 for the Marlins, where he crossed paths with Mattingly.

    “He’s always had the profile of good catch and throw. So that’s what we saw in Miami,” Mattingly said. “There is some pop in there, seeing that also. So it’s never off the table.”

    To clear room for Henry on the 40-man roster, Brad Keller (right elbow UCL tear) was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

    Phillies players react to LeBron James’ decision to play for Sixers: ‘Really cool for the city’

    Extra bases

    The Phillies have not announced a starter for Saturday’s game against the Yankees, who will have Ryan Weathers (3-7, 4.40 ERA) on the mound. Brian Keller, who had a locker in the Phillies clubhouse Friday, is expected to play a role. Keller, a 39th-round draft pick in 2016, is set to be activated Saturday and is positioned to make his major league debut after stints in the minors and Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Keller also missed nearly three years because of injury, but, after signing a minor league deal with the Phillies in May, has a 2.06 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 39⅓ innings with the IronPigs.

  • Phillies pitcher Alex McFarlane made his major league debut on Wednesday. He survived an All-Star-heavy order.

    Phillies pitcher Alex McFarlane made his major league debut on Wednesday. He survived an All-Star-heavy order.

    All Alex McFarlane knew, as he made the jog from the center field bullpen, was that he was due to face a lefty.

    As he’d warmed up for his major league debut on Wednesday, the 25-year-old hadn’t been paying close attention to where the Dodgers were in their order. The game was essentially out of reach already, with the Phillies trailing by five runs in the ninth inning. McFarlane had been more concerned with steadying his breathing, now that the moment he’d waited for had finally arrived.

    But when he made it to the mound and realized who he’d be facing, McFarlane had to take a few more deep breaths.

    “It turned out to be that lefty,” McFarlane said.

    Retiring Shohei Ohtani was Alex McFarlane’s first major league task. Chris Szagola

    As in four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani. Any left-handed batter would be a challenging first at-bat for the rookie righty, but the two-way Dodgers superstar, with a .940 OPS against right-handers, was a different beast entirely.

    “Try not to let the game speed up, slow everything down, and just try to get the ball over the plate, just like a normal hitter,” McFarlane said. “Obviously Ohtani’s Ohtani, but I’m just trying to get the ball over the plate. Trust my stuff.”

    Ohtani has not had recent success at the plate against the Phillies. Citizens Bank Park remains one of two active major league ballparks he has yet to homer in during either the regular season or postseason. He was 1-for-12 against the Phillies this week, with that one hit being a single.

    Ohtani had been aggressive early in counts all night Wednesday and he attacked McFarlane no differently, pouncing on a first-pitch 100.3 mph fastball that McFarlane dotted on the bottom inside corner of the strike zone. Ohtani hit it well, but it just stayed in the ballpark for a fly out, the first major league out of McFarlane’s career.

    “It was a high fly ball, but had no idea what the result would be,” McFarlane said. “Just took it as it was. Didn’t think it was gonna get out, but first time on this field, you never know what the ball flight looks like.”

    McFarlane had been called up from double-A Reading earlier in the week as a reinforcement for a Phillies bullpen that has been a revolving door of struggles and injuries. It marks his second stint with the Phillies, after previously being called up on April 24 and then being sent back the next day without appearing in a game.

    This time, the Phillies wanted to see what he could do — if he could be a potential internal solution for a bullpen unit that has been searching for answers for most of the year.

    His triple-digit fastball velocity and his slider have made McFarlane the Phillies’ No. 14 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. In 35 innings in double A this year, he has a 2.06 ERA and 47 strikeouts.

    Alex McFarlane calmed his nerves after taking the mound against the Dodgers and had success against challenging hitters. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Walks have been somewhat of an issue — he has a 12.7% walk rate — but in his outing on Wednesday, McFarlane was able to get the Dodgers to chase.

    Once Ohtani was retired, he still had the rest of the top of the Dodgers order to contend with. Andy Pages bit on a sinker below the zone to ground out.

    “Really exciting to face those guys, especially my first debut. Get some good experience in there and take it on to the next outing,” McFarlane said.

    Freddie Freeman singled on a fastball inside, but McFarlane rebounded with a groundout of Max Muncy to end the top of the ninth. He wasn’t even fazed by a mid-inning catcher change, as Rafael Marchán had to be taken out during Pages’ at-bat due to left knee pain, with J.T. Realmuto coming off the bench. Marchán was scheduled to undergo further imaging on Thursday.

    “Tough spot for him, too,” said interim manager Don Mattingly. “He’s coming in at Ohtani and has to run through the lefties. Not something we want to do, but in that game, it felt like the right time to get him in and get him at least out on the mound one time.”

    Alex McFarlane was elevated to the big leagues after emerging as one of the Phillies’ top prospects. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    McFarlane had his mother and girlfriend in the stands to witness his debut. He doesn’t know how long he’ll remain in the majors, and if he’ll stay up long enough to get another opportunity.

    But every chance he gets, McFarlane, who was born in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, will take pride in representing his home on the biggest stage.

    By walking to the mound on Wednesday, he officially became the 16th player from the Virgin Islands to make it to the major leagues. He has the words “VI STRONG” written on his left forearm as a reminder.

    “Just understanding where I came from,” he said. “It’s a long journey, and extremely grateful for the opportunity to be here today to represent them.”