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Category: Phillies/MLB

  • Phillies’ costly baserunning blunder highlights a rain-delayed 2-1 loss to the Dodgers

    Phillies’ costly baserunning blunder highlights a rain-delayed 2-1 loss to the Dodgers

    Justin Crawford stood on third base, with one out in the ninth inning, and got his instructions: Run on contact … unless the ball is hit to third.

    The ball was hit to third.

    Crawford ran anyway.

    “Just one of those things,” the rookie said, “that can’t happen.”

    But it wasn’t the Phillies’ worst baserunning blunder on the inexcusable double play that ended Tuesday night’s rain-delayed 2-1 loss to the Dodgers. No, that belonged to J.T. Realmuto, a veteran who conceded he should’ve known better.

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    As Crawford got stuck in a rundown between home and third, Realmuto ran to third base. At worst, he should’ve been at third, with Brandon Marsh reaching second, two outs, and a chance to still win the game.

    Instead, Realmuto turned back. And after the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts tagged Crawford, he fired to second base to easily catch Realmuto retreating.

    All together now: Yikes.

    “It was just a bad baserunning play, really,” Realmuto said. “Once Craw gets in the rundown, I’m on third base. There’s no reason for me to go back to second. Just a lapse of judgment. Can’t make two outs on that play.”

    But it wouldn’t have been Phillies-Dodgers in Citizens Bank Park without a pivotal play at third base in the ninth inning of a one-run game.

    Think back, if you can stomach it, to Game 2 of the divisional round series last October. With the tying run on second base and nobody out, the Phillies called for Bryson Stott to bunt. Betts alertly covered third, and the Dodgers cut down Nick Castellanos for a costly out.

    In this case, Crawford explained he took off from third base because Marsh hit the ball softly — 47.5 mph off the bat. But third baseman Max Muncy was already playing in on the grass and didn’t have to range far for the ball.

    “I was like, OK, he cued it, so I kind of thought I’ve got a chance [to score],” Crawford said. “And by the time I realized I wasn’t going to be able to make it, it was kind of too late. Just got to make a better decision next time.”

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    Interim manager Don Mattingly remembered it slightly differently, noting that Crawford was told to run on contact no matter what. Either way, he stayed in the rundown long enough for the Phillies to have runners on second and third when he got tagged out.

    If only Realmuto stayed put.

    “I don’t know what J.T. was thinking there,” Mattingly said. “Honestly.”

    Not enough, according to Realmuto.

    “Maybe something I could have done better was play that in my head before it happened,” he said. “I think that’s something, on the base paths you have to be proactive and think of those things. I was more just trying to get a good lead, get a good jump, and score on a base hit, where I should have maybe thought through that scenario before the play.”

    In any case, it was another nail-biting chapter between National League powers that couldn’t be more evenly matched. In a postseason vanquishing by the Dodgers last year, the Phillies lost three games by a total of four runs.

    Zack Wheeler wasn’t involved in any of them.

    We offer that as “a reminder for whoever needs to be reminded,” to use Wheeler’s line, that the Phillies will be an even tougher out this October — assuming they (a) make the playoffs and (b) can line up Cristopher Sánchez and Wheeler to start Games 1 and 2.

    Because one night after the Phillies won behind Sánchez, Wheeler subdued the Dodgers but for one pitch, a first-pitch cutter that Muncy hit into the center-field shrubbery in the fourth inning.

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    It was the deciding blow and the only dent in Wheeler over seven innings.

    “Maybe not the best pitch in that situation,” Wheeler said. “Just because we got him on it a couple different times in that first at-bat, so he probably went up there saying, ‘You got me on this.’ He was probably just ready for it.”

    Wheeler said he “second-guessed in my head” throwing another cutter to Muncy. But he also hardly ever shakes off Realmuto.

    “I trust him more than anybody,” Wheeler said.

    After an 80-minute rain delay at the outset, the game had a postseason feel, from the duel between Wheeler and lefty Justin Wrobleski to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts using Tanner Scott for a five-out save.

    And, of course, the crazy ending.

    Alec Bohm‘s two-out RBI single gave the Phillies a lead in the first inning. But they managed only three more hits against Wrobleski. He shut them down for seven innings in May at Dodger Stadium, part of a stellar first half that put him in the All-Star Game.

    Wheeler was irritated by being left out. Since then, he has allowed a total of three runs in 20 innings over his last three starts, a revenge tour that has lowered his already teeny-tiny ERA to 2.16 and put him squarely in the Cy Young conversation.

    Phillies call up outfielder Bryan De La Cruz after Garrett Stubbs is placed on the injured list

    The Dodgers goofed on the bases in the third inning, and it cost them a run. Shohei Ohtani tried to stretch a two-out single and got thrown out at second base before slow-footed Eliezer Alfonzo crossed the plate.

    But the Phillies’ game-ending gaffe topped everything.

    “A lot of times these games are going to be won by the little things,” Realmuto said. “They’ve been able to make less mistakes than we have in our series, going back to last postseason. They’re such a powerful team. But we match up well with them, I think.

    “Where we have to get better is on those edges, make the small plays, make the routine plays, and not give them extra outs, not give away outs on the bases, stuff like that. It’s the little things that you have to do well to beat a team like that.”

  • ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: John Middleton on All-Star Game highlights, firing Rob Thomson, and the trade deadline

    ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: John Middleton on All-Star Game highlights, firing Rob Thomson, and the trade deadline

    John Middleton spent months overseeing preparations for Philadelphia’s first All-Star Game in 30 years.

    “I think of it like my daughter’s wedding,” the Phillies owner said in February. “I’m excited; I’m looking forward to it. And I know I’ll be really happy the day after when I wake up and it’s done.”

    Well …

    From February: John Middleton on Phillies’ high payroll amid looming labor war, Dave Dombrowski-Bryce Harper saga, and more

    After the baseball world left town, Middleton sat down with Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast, to recap how the city did during its week at the center of the baseball universe.

    But he also talked about the upcoming trade deadline (Aug. 3), Wall of Fame ceremony for Chase Utley (Aug. 7), and Field of Dreams Game in Iowa (Aug. 13), in addition to his and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski’s futures at the top of the Phillies’ organizational masthead.

    Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Phillies Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

    Q: Now that it’s over, is there a lasting memory that you will take from the first All-Star Game in Philadelphia in 30 years?

    A: I don’t think I have one in particular … if this were a one-day event like it was in ’76, where they came in, flew in on Sunday evening or Monday morning, and had fielding practice and batting practice Monday afternoon, and played the game on Tuesday and left, maybe you have one. But it’s a five-day event now, and so I’ll just kind of give them to you chronologically, the ones that really stand out.

    For me, the standard I use is what’s quintessentially Philadelphia. … you could have great experiences in any other city, any other ballpark during those five days, but they’re not Philadelphia-based driven experiences. The first one was the attendance at the All-Star Village. I’m told that we blasted every attendance record they had. I know in terms of recent attendance figures, I mean, we did [25,000]-plus the first day, 25-plus the second day, nearly 23 the third day, and over 22 the fourth day. We were at 93,800 and some odd attendees over the four days, and if you looked at the more recent history, they were all kind of in the [12,000] to 15,000. So, this is an enormous increase … And I’m told that it is literally the largest attendance they had over the course of an All-Star Village in any year. So that’s, to me, quintessentially Philly. The fan base responding to that opportunity was extraordinary.

    ‘My favorite place to play’: Philly and Citizens Bank Park were All-Stars on a magical night. Just ask the actual All-Stars.

    I think the Home Run Derby was incredible … I doubt they’ve ever had a Home Run Derby like this. What [Cardinals slugger Jordan] Walker did was extraordinary. The finals between the two of them [Walker and Kyle Schwarber] was unbelievable. You couldn’t have scripted it frankly any better other than Kyle winning, but you’ve got to take your hat off to Jordan Walker. He hit six consecutive home runs absolutely on his last ball. Any one of those that he didn’t hit would have resulted in a different outcome. But the fans were so electric. The stadium was electric. It felt like a late postseason-clinching game in a postseason series. It was just wonderful, and that was quintessentially Philadelphia.

    I think the third one I would point to is the red carpet. The way they had it set up, you were in the backstage area and you couldn’t really see anything out there. And you kind of came through the pathway, and you walked through a door, and staring in front of you was a red carpet laid out. There were thousands of fans, and rising above it all was Independence Hall and the steeple, and that was an emotional moment. And you couldn’t have that in any other place in this country but in Philadelphia. And frankly, you could have it in Philadelphia in five or 10 years, and it wouldn’t be quite the same because it wouldn’t be the 250th birthday of the country. You won’t have that chance to have that moment again, in my opinion, until the tricentennial, and I’m not planning to be around to experience that one.

    And I guess the last one I would point to is the entire pageantry surrounding the All-Star Game itself. I think Miles Teller’s moment, his speech was extraordinarily moving. I think the recreation of the Sandlot moment after the fifth inning was unbelievable, and that again is just kind of quintessentially Philadelphia.

    The Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson on April 28 after a 9-19 start.Erik S. Lesser
    Q: Just because I haven’t talked to you since it happened, could you take me through the emotions of the day Rob Thomson was fired, from your perspective?

    A: I, personally, find terminating someone the most difficult and the most unpleasant part of being an executive. I’ve been doing this for over 45 years … and it was horrible the first time I had to do it, and I can’t tell you that it’s particularly better or easier nearly 50 years later. You’re really disrupting somebody’s life significantly, and you never can forget that.

    I think the hardest part about doing something like this is the judgment between how much time you give something. Do you let it go further? And when do you draw the line and say, ‘Enough time has passed. We have to make the decision?’ And frankly, as the old expression goes, not to decide is actually to make a decision. You’re deciding not to decide, and Dave and I talked about this a lot and have talked about it a lot. And we kind of finally reached the same point. And we obviously had done that in the past with Joe [Girardi in 2022], and I really trust Dave’s judgment on these things. And that’s not just the two of us talking. It’s a whole bunch of people talking, and it took awhile to get to consensus. But the consensus was that we needed to kind of do something.

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    Rob was great about it. … Rob knows he’s always got a place in the organization. It’s really up to Rob to decide where and when and how, and we’ll work him in. I made the point to Rob, I said, ‘Look, Rob. Charlie Manuel got fired in August of ’13.’ And I said, ‘Look at him; he’s back, and everybody loves him, and everybody from in the organization, the fan base loves to have him back, loves to have him around. Gets a huge ovation every time he’s introduced. Ruben [Amaro Jr.] was fired. He’s back, albeit he’s an announcer, but he’s welcomed back. He comes to all our alumni events, and we love having him around. And I told Rob, I said, ‘It’s going to be the same thing with you. It’s just when you’re ready for it.’

    A decision like this is never so black and white that everybody’s going to agree with it. There are people who are going to say that we waited too long. There are people who will say that we didn’t wait long enough. There are people who say that other people should have been fired. I’ve read all those comments. I don’t agree with them, but that doesn’t mean that I’m right and they’re wrong. But I get paid to make a decision. Dave gets paid to make a decision, and that’s kind of when we thought we needed to do it. And I will tell you, the aftermath [under interim manager Don Mattingly] more or less supports the decision. You can argue that we maybe should have moved earlier. Maybe we would have had a better record today had we moved a week earlier, five days earlier, or three days earlier. But the reality is, you just need to set the organization on a path that’s going to hopefully result in the best season you can possibly have. And I think we’re on that. We’ve got to be healthy. But if we remain healthy, we’ll be in good shape.

    Phillies president Dave Dombrowski has a lot of work to do before the trade deadline.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
    Q: The trade deadline is roughly two weeks away, and this one is especially intriguing because nobody knows what the rules are going to be beyond 2026 in terms of whether or not there’s going to be a salary cap. How do you and Dave go about doing what you have to try to do to win right now when you don’t know what the landscape is going to look like next year?

    A: … I think you have to be aware of it. You have to ask questions about it. But at the end of the day, because the range of outcomes is so wide, I think you have to kind of just do what’s in your judgment is in the best interest. And philosophically, Dave and I approach these things as kind of maximizing our ability to win today with maximizing our ability to win in the future. And reasonable people can disagree about how you actually implement that philosophy and how you think about an individual trade, the players you’re getting, who the players are that you’re giving up, what the salary is you’re taking on, and all of that. But that remains our philosophical construct, and we’re going to move down that path.

    That kind of also gets you back to health. Because obviously if somebody gets injured, an important player gets injured in particular, that changes your understanding of the team and what you have to do to maximize the rest of the season in the postseason. So, all of those things are out there and they’re playing.

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    … there’s like four or five teams in the National League that are within say three games of the final wild-card spot. It’s really hard to trade away players if you’re one of those teams and say ‘I’m going to give up and try to get some younger players.’ Most of those teams are going to turn out to try to be pushing to add players to kind of bridge that gap and get into the playoffs. I mean we were there in ’22. It’s exactly where we were, and so I think that makes it very difficult because if you look in the National League and the American League, there’s a handful of teams that are quote unquote out of it. So I think most teams are kind of in it, and that really shrinks the pool and rise prices up.

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

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

    An underrated stat as we look ahead toward the trade deadline: The Phillies are 42-15 in games started by Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, or Jesús Luzardo.

    Impressive? Sure. But also jarring, due to the simple math that follows.

    The Phillies have a 56-46 overall record. Which means they were 14-31 in games started by anybody other than Sánchez, Wheeler, or Luzardo.

    Phillies’ bullpen desperation sets up a perilous trade deadline

    Let that number marinate. The more you do, the more you might begin to rethink the Phillies’ trade deadline calculus. This time of year, there are wants and there are needs and there are would-be-helpful-to-haves. A lot of folks seem to have relegated starting pitching to that third bin. In reality, it might be Dave Dombrowski’s most pressing order of business.

    The Phillies don’t necessarily need a fourth Cy Young-caliber arm. They shouldn’t be looking for 2009 Cliff Lee or 2010 Roy Oswalt. They can set their sights much lower than the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal or even the Twins’ Joe Ryan. Maybe even lower than Boston’s Sonny Gray. At the same time, Dombrowski needs to be thinking bigger than this year’s version of Walker Buehler or Noah Syndergaard. The Phillies don’t just need someone who would give them a fighting chance in a late-season, must-win game against the Braves. They need someone who could potentially start Game 1 of the National League Division Series. Let’s begin our argument there.

    1) Who is the Phillies’ fourth starter in the postseason?

    They won’t make it through October without needing one. Unless their October is tragically brief. The Phillies could need someone outside of the Big Three as soon as Game 1 of the NLDS. All it would take is losing a game in the wild-card series, which would force Luzardo to the mound for a decisive Game 3. Assuming the usual one off day before the start of the NLDS, none of the Big Three would be on normal rest for Game 1.

    Even if the Phillies do have the top of their rotation lined up for the first three games of an NLDS, that still leaves Game 4. They were blessed with an extra off day last year against the Dodgers. That won’t be the case this year if Major League Baseball sticks to its previous pattern of alternating the extra off day between leagues.

    After their series concludes with the Dodgers on Wednesday, the Phillies face top teams like the Yankees, Rays, and Braves.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    2) Will the Phillies even make it to the postseason with the status quo, given the gauntlet that awaits?

    This week’s series against the Dodgers is the first of 11 that they will play against either the five winningest teams in the majors or three of the teams nipping at their heels in the NL playoff chase.

    It breaks down like this:

    • Six games against the two winningest teams in the American League (Yankees, Rays)
    • Six games against the two winningest teams in the NL, with two vs. the Dodgers already in the books
    • Seven games against the Braves, who entered Tuesday with a three-game lead in the division
    • Twelve games against the Cardinals and Marlins, both of whom were within four games of the Phillies in the loss column as of Tuesday
    • Factor in series against the Diamondbacks, Nationals, and Mariners and 43 of the Phillies’ 62 games post-All-Star break will feature opponents who entered Tuesday with a winning record.

    The Braves series looms especially large.

    The Phillies have a stretch in early September when they will play the Braves seven times in 10 days with no off days. Given the schedule, they’ll need someone other than the Big Three to face the Braves in at least two of those seven games.

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    And what about the last week of the season? The Phillies are currently lined up to finish the year with six games against the Brewers and Rays. In order to line up the Big Three for a wild-card series, the Phillies would need a fourth and fifth starter to pitch two of the three games against the Rays. Even if they aren’t fighting for a playoff spot, they could be fighting for the right not to travel to Atlanta, Milwaukee, or Los Angeles for the wild-card round.

    3) Trading for a fourth starter could help the bullpen more than trading for another bullpen arm.

    To be clear, this isn’t an either-or. The Phillies clearly need to add some form of reinforcements for a bullpen that lost setup man Brad Keller for the season. José Alvarado offered some reason for hope in his appearance against the Dodgers on Monday. Orion Kerkering, less so.

    But innings are innings. The fewer of them that are pitched by starters, the more relievers must pitch. You’d rather have a starter coming out of the ’pen in a must-win postseason game than a reliever starting. Look at Luzardo in Game 4 of last year’s NLDS loss to the Dodgers.

    A couple of names that should at least intrigue the Phillies.

    Clay Holmes has a 2.39 ERA in nine starts this season for the Mets.Ross D. Franklin

    Reid Detmers of the Angels and Clay Holmes of the Mets are both potentially available. Holmes, a right-hander, is presumably the most available, given that he is currently working his way back from a broken leg and has a player option for next season. Detmers, a lefty, still has two more full years left until free agency and is under contract for a meager $2.63 million this season. Only 27 years old, with borderline elite strikeout, walk, and home run numbers, he could end up costing more than the Phillies are willing to pay.

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    Cost aside, both Detmers and Holmes have the kind of profile that should have the Phillies working the phones. Holmes was a longtime setup man with the Yankees who moved into the Mets rotation last season. Detmers moved to the bullpen last season after a disappointing year as a starter but has since rejoined the rotation. Either would dramatically improve the Phillies’ flexibility, both down the stretch and through the postseason.

  • Kyle Kendrick feared the worst after his son was hit by a car. Now Kyle Jr. is back on the field and hitting homers.

    Kyle Kendrick feared the worst after his son was hit by a car. Now Kyle Jr. is back on the field and hitting homers.

    Kyle Kendrick used to walk into the batting cage he built in his Clearwater, Fla., backyard and just stand in it. He dreamed of having something like this when he was a kid and the former Phillies pitcher was in awe of what he had.

    “I would just look around and say, ‘This is sweet,’” said Kendrick, a member of the Phillies’ starting rotation from 2007-14.

    It was there that he spent hours throwing batting practice to his son, Kyle Jr., as the son fell in love with the dad’s game. Kendrick even installed lights so his boy could keep swinging. The batting cage became their place.

    “They grow up fast,” Kendrick said. “Pretty soon, he’ll be in high school and then college, and he won’t want to go into the cage anymore.”

    For a few weeks last fall, the dad wasn’t sure if his son would ever be able to get back in the cage after the 12-year-old was hit by a car driving nearly 50 mph while he was walking across the street near his home.

    Kyle Jr. broke both femurs, had his mouth wired shut, and spent a week in the hospital after six hours of surgery. The Kendricks first feared their son wouldn’t make it. Next, they wondered if he’d ever play baseball again. And then they watched him leave his wheelchair to get back into the batting cage with his dad.

    The son sat on a bucket in the cage 18 days after the crash while his dad bounced baseballs toward him. He nabbed each hopping grounder with ease and fired throws back to his dad. There was no fear, his mother Stephenie said. Kyle Jr. was back in the cage.

    “I was just so proud,” his mom said. “This kid was just hit by a car and he wasn’t even flinching. It didn’t faze him. He was so driven to get back. He was on that bucket swinging the bat. He was catching and throwing. He was fielding ground balls. I was amazed.”

    ‘Oh my gosh’

    Kyle Kendrick kept calling his son’s phone, wondering where he was after he rode his bike that Sunday to fish in a nearby lake. Finally, a police officer answered. He told Kendrick that his son was in a crash and he had to get there fast.

    “I actually heard the sirens from my house,” Kendrick said. “I was like ‘Oh, my gosh.’”

    Kyle Jr. was riding his bike home when he stopped at an intersection so he could walk his bike across the street. A driver waved him on and the boy started to cross. But another car did not see him. The boy was launched into the air before crashing down onto the car and striking the pavement. The driver was not charged. There were ambulances, firefighters, and a crowd of people there when the dad arrived. It was the worst experience of his life, Kendrick said.

    He called his wife, who was driving home from a meeting for their daughter’s volleyball team.

    “He couldn’t speak,” Stephenie said. “The cop got on the phone and said they had to helicopter him to the hospital. I said, ‘Helicopter him there? Why? Why can’t he take an ambulance? Is he going to survive? How bad is it?”

    Former MLB pitcher Kyle Kendrick poses for a portrait with his wife, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, and their children, Sophia, Kyle Jr., and Sloane at their home in Florida. Octavio Jones / For The Inquirer

    The son underwent a bevy of X-rays and MRIs at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., where doctors learned that he broke both femurs but somehow did not have a spinal or head injury. Even his teeth were mostly intact as the boy lost just one.

    The crash happened three years after Stephenie’s brother Chris died. Kyle Jr. was close to his Uncle Chris, who loved to fish. She asked her late brother on the way to the hospital to pull some strings and limit the damage.

    “I swear he had a hand in it,” Stephenie said. “Every doctor said, ‘He shouldn’t have survived this. This is a miracle.’”

    The boy’s face looked like he had gone 12 rounds when his mom saw him in the hospital. His jaw was broken but he still managed to say, “Hi, mom.” Stephenie told her son to show everyone how tough he was. He did just that.

    He screamed when his legs were pulled into traction but he fought through it. His pain medication was limited overnight to prepare for surgery in the morning and the boy bore the discomfort. He was tough.

    “He really is very tough,” his mom said. “And it’s mentally tough.”

    The parents sat in the hospital cafeteria for 6 hours while their son underwent surgery.

    “That was the longest and most emotional time,” Kendrick said. “It’s six hours of surgery and he’s under for a long time. As a parent, it’s the worst.”

    Former Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick thought his son was going to die. Six months later, Kyle Jr. is playing baseball again after being hit by a speeding car.Octavio Jones / For The Inquirer

    The surgeon installed metal rods into Kyle Jr.’s femurs through his hips and was so precise that he left the tiniest scar. The doctor told the parents that their son would heal in six months. That sounded a little optimistic, the dad thought. But they were clean breaks, the doctor said. There were no growth plate issues. The boy would bounce back. He got lucky, the doctor said.

    The boy stayed in the hospital for a week with his mom while dad stayed at home with their daughters, Sophia and Sloane. Everyone at the hospital was great, mom said. Well, everyone except for the people who kept removing and inserting the catheter.

    “I was like, ‘OK. No more students are coming in to try the catheter. We’re going to use your best person who knows how to use a catheter and that’s what we’re going to do,’” said Stephenie, who lives in Florida but still has the accent of the girl from Glenolden who attended Archbishop Prendergast. “I pulled out a whole Delco thing there. You don’t even know. I was real nice until I was like, ‘That’s enough. Now leave the friggin’ catheter in until he can pee on his own.’”

    ‘Back on the horse’

    Kyle Jr. returned to school in early December, less than a month after the crash. His buddies at Skycrest Christian School pushed the sixth grader’s wheelchair around the halls and carried his books. He went snowboarding just three weeks after surgery. The doctor was right.

    Kendrick took his son to fish at the spot where he was headed that Sunday and they went back to the scene of the crash. He bought his son a new bike.

    One of their daughters used to ride horses, and the trainer always put her right back on the horse if she fell off. There’s no guide instructing parents how to deal with a crash like this. So the Kendricks did what they thought was best.

    “We got right back on the horse,” Stephenie said. “He’s a badass. He really is.”

    Kyle Kendrick Jr. fishes from his wheelchair weeks after he was hit by a car while heading home from fishing in the same spot. His dad, former Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick, drove him back to the spot.Kyle Kendrick

    And they got the boy in the cage. Kyle Jr.’s travel team — which is coached by his dad — had a trip planned for June to a tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y. The fields are named after big-league parks and nestled in the valley near the Baseball Hall of Fame. This was a trip the father and son had been looking forward to. But Kendrick worried his son wouldn’t be able to make it.

    He played his first game for the Florida Burn in January as his dad used him as a designated hitter to keep him out of the field. His Burn teammates wore his number on their batting helmets and some of the other parents cried. He was back, but the Kendricks noticed their son’s confidence wasn’t where it used to be.

    He had missed weeks of baseball and had trouble timing his swing. They couldn’t fault him if he was tentative still from the crash. The father and son kept working.

    “He’s a good coach,” the son said. “It’s a lot of fun to hit with him and then to have him as my coach. Just working with him and learning what he learned is really cool. It’s special.”

    Kyle Kendrick said his son being “able to play at 100 percent after this is a miracle.”

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    “When I got back out there with him, I said, ‘This is so cool,’” the father said. “He could’ve passed. And now to still play? He could’ve been paralyzed. Just to be out there doing baseball stuff is unbelievable.

    “I really didn’t think he’d be able to play again. I didn’t know how he’d move. A lot of thoughts go through your mind. For him to come back, he looks normal if not better. We’re very lucky and grateful. It’s cool to be back with him. To see him on the field was awesome for me.”

    He made it to Cooperstown and the team’s first game was delayed until near midnight. The boys didn’t play that night until way past bedtime. They were a bunch of friends on a baseball trip. They slept in bunks for a week, traded pins, ordered pizza, went to the Hall of Fame, and watched fireworks. Playing late at night was perfect.

    It became even better when young Kyle got hold of a pitch and drove it to center field. His first homer came seven months after a crash that gave his parents the worst scare of their lives.

    “It was freezing cold,” Kyle Jr. said. “I could hardly feel my hands. I got a high pitch and I just swung up at it.”

    He circled the bases and his teammates — the same kids who left a giant banner of support on his lawn when he was in the hospital — rushed toward home plate. Kyle Jr. slowed his jog as he neared the gang of kids and skipped onto home plate as his buddies went wild.

    “That felt so good,” Kyle Jr. said. “Everyone was pumped. Everyone was jumping because it was my first one.”

    A day later, he did it again. It was “oppo taco,” he said of his opposite-field homer.

    The kid who fell in love with baseball in the batting cage his dad built was back doing what he loved.

    “I just love to play,“ he said. ”It’s a lot of fun.”

  • Phillies call up outfielder Bryan De La Cruz after Garrett Stubbs is placed on the injured list

    Phillies call up outfielder Bryan De La Cruz after Garrett Stubbs is placed on the injured list

    Bryan De La Cruz was eating at Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão on Monday when he got a call from triple-A Lehigh Valley manager Chris Adamson.

    Adamson told De La Cruz that he was heading back to the major leagues. The right-handed-hitting outfielder was officially activated on Tuesday, with catcher Garrett Stubbs placed on the 10-day injured list due to left wrist inflammation as a corresponding move.

    De La Cruz has plenty of prior major league experience. Since 2021, he’s played 491 major league games for three teams. But since getting designated for assignment by the Yankees last July, he hasn’t found a foothold.

    A solution to the Phillies’ fifth-starter spot? Skip it. But only for now.

    “I just want to thank God, mainly,” he said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “We just have to keep the faith up and just believe and keep going. Keep advancing, keep moving on, and it doesn’t matter how hard it gets. … You can always make it back up, and you just have to believe and be thankful for the opportunity to be here.”

    De La Cruz signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies in the winter and was in big league camp this season. There, he reunited with Jesús Luzardo, with whom he spent time on the Marlins, and befriended some other players like pitcher Cristopher Sánchez.

    Over 84 games in triple A, De La Cruz hit .269 with an .806 OPS, and played primarily left field along with stints in right field and as the designated hitter.

    Bryan de la Cruz, shown during spring training, primarily played left field for triple A Lehigh Valley.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    It’s no secret how much the Phillies’ right-handed hitters have struggled this season. As a collective, they have a .217 batting average and .633 OPS, both of which rank dead last in baseball among right-handers. While Trea Turner has recently started to heat up, with four homers in his last four games, the Phillies need more production from that side of the plate.

    “I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t up to date with what the team was doing here at the big league level, but my focus was and is always going to be to focus on where I’m at,” De La Cruz said. “Down in the minors, that was my main focus, just trying to perform and trying to help where I was. And now I’m here, and I’ll try to do the same.”

    De La Cruz was recalled as a reinforcement before the Phillies are expected to face two consecutive left-handed starters. The Dodgers’ Justin Wrobleski started Tuesday, while Eric Lauer is lined up to start Wednesday’s series finale.

    Phillies bolster beleaguered bullpen, call up reliever Alex McFarlane from double-A Reading

    In triple A, De La Cruz has a .313 average in 48 at-bats against left-handers with three doubles and two homers.

    “I’m going to be here for everyone, and for the team, and whatever they want me to contribute in, I will do that,” he said. “I’ll just try and do what I can do, and what I do best. But any way that the team wants me, I’ll just be there and try to perform.”

    Stubbs, as the third catcher on the roster, made just 20 appearances, including nine starts, since his contract was selected on April 22. His last two appearances — July 6 in Kansas City and July 10 in Detroit — came as a pitcher in blowouts.

    In 28 total at-bats, Stubbs has a .179 batting average.

    Extra bases

    Aaron Nola (3-7, 5.68 ERA) is scheduled to start the series finale against Lauer (4-5, 4.81).

  • Despite defensive miscues, Trea Turner’s 200th career homer helps Phillies power past Dodgers

    Despite defensive miscues, Trea Turner’s 200th career homer helps Phillies power past Dodgers

    Afterward, Trea Turner could only laugh.

    So could his teammates. As the stadium lights flashed and the bell tolled, signaling another Phillies win — this time, 10-7 over the Dodgers — the infield convened on the dirt.

    The same dirt where Turner had just made four different miscues defensively, and the same dirt Turner had trotted across, twice, after each of his homers on Monday. As the Phillies celebrated their victory, they couldn’t help but tease their shortstop for his Jekyll and Hyde performance.

    “Ridiculous game, in general, by me,” Turner said. “You do things like that, or have games like that, sometimes you just got to laugh about it. And they gave me a hard time.”

    The ridiculousness started in the first inning, when Turner botched a routine grounder — first bobbling it, then pulling Bryce Harper off the bag with his throw — to record his 15th error of the year. The boos rained down as he squandered a chance to get Cristopher Sánchez out of an early jam, and instead helped the Dodgers load the bases.

    Trea Turner has homered four times in the last four games.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    But after successfully fielding the next grounder hit in his direction to end it without damage, Turner got the crowd back on his side after sending Emmet Sheehan’s first pitch to left-center for a double.

    “Obviously, Trea swung the bat really well,” said interim manager Don Mattingly. “He didn’t catch it as well.”

    And that was only the beginning of the roller coaster ride. Turner launched a two-run shot in the second inning to help build the Phillies’ early lead, but he also continued to struggle on defense.

    In the fourth inning, Alex Call grounded a ball to left that went underneath Turner’s glove. In the sixth, a chopper from Andy Pages bounced off his glove and a run scored. And in the ninth, a hard-hit grounder from Tommy Edman deflected off his knee.

    All three were ruled singles by the official scorer, but were plays Turner could have made.

    A solution to the Phillies’ fifth-starter spot? Skip it. But only for now.

    “Everyone talks about rhythm at the plate, but I think there’s rhythm on the base paths, rhythm defensively,” Turner said. “Sometimes you feel good, sometimes you don’t, and you just got to find that flow again.”

    He couldn’t pinpoint what was going wrong Monday or this season in general, but said that poor reads were part of the problem. Turner’s 15 errors have already well surpassed his full-season marker of eight in 2025. His defensive runs saved (-10) is dead last among qualified shortstops this year, but Mattingly still has confidence in him.

    “I trust Trea, honestly,” Mattingly said. “I trust all our guys, and Trea’s going to make some great plays. There’s going to be errors with everybody. Trea works. He’s out there every day, working on ground balls. He’s working on his hands, all that type of stuff. So as long as Trea works, we ride with Trea.”

    Turner has committed three errors in the last four games. He has also homered four times in the last four games.

    This time, his error cost Sánchez a few pitches in the first. The Phillies lefty scattered seven hits and struck out seven. Four of those came on his slider, which he leaned on more than usual over 5 ⅓ innings.

    Sánchez retired Shohei Ohtani three times.

    “Looks like it had good depth of that slider tonight,” Mattingly said. “I’m sure part of the game plan is to not chase that changeup down. … It’s just a tough lineup to get through from the standpoint of just going to the changeup. Everybody knows he’s got a good changeup. We’ve seen teams try to take it away; they’re probably better at it than most.”

    Sánchez was lifted after reaching 99 pitches, leaving two on base for Orion Kerkering in the sixth. Both inherited runners wound up scoring, bringing Sánchez’s total to three earned runs.

    Pinch-hitting Max Muncy won a seven-pitch battle against Kerkering with a double that drove in one. Kerkering bounced back by striking out Dalton Rushing, and then intentionally walked Ohtani to load the bases.

    Trea Turner looks to cut down on chasing — and he’s starting to see the results

    Pages, who hit the bases-loaded grounder to Kerkering that eliminated the Phillies from the 2025 National League Division Series, stepped into the batter’s box instead. His chopper to Turner could have ended it there, but another run scored to bring the Dodgers within one.

    But once again, Turner found redemption immediately on offense. He hooked his second homer of the night, and 200th of his career, just inside the left field foul pole in the bottom of the inning.

    “That’s how it goes in the game of baseball,” Sánchez said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “You’ll fail, sometimes you miss, but you just try to pick yourself up and be better and do things like that.”

    Turner wasn’t the only Phillies player to have a big game. Gabriel Rincones Jr. hit an RBI double in the second inning, and he also made some key plays in right field. Brandon Marsh, Harper, and Derek Hill, who each had cooled off somewhat after the All-Star break, hit solo homers that gave the Phillies some needed insurance.

    Bryce Harper hit his 200th homer in a Phillies uniform on Monday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Chase Shugart had a six-run cushion for the ninth, but the Dodgers made things interesting quickly. Pages drew a leadoff walk and Edman’s grounder that deflected off of Turner’s leg put runners on the corners. An RBI groundout scored a run, and then Mookie Betts delivered his second homer of the game to bring the Dodgers within three.

    Not willing to take any more chances, even with two outs and the bases empty, Mattingly brought in closer Jhoan Duran.

    “I’m not going to let it get away and take another chance that it goes further and then puts him in a spot where he can’t make a mistake,” Mattingly said.

    Duran needed three pitches to retire Teoscar Hernández with a groundout, fielded by — who else? — Turner.

    And with the victory officially secured, then the laughter began. The shortstop left the ballpark Monday night with a souvenir ball to remember his 200th career home run, and the wacky game it happened in.

    “If you can’t laugh at yourself,” Turner said, “then you’re kind of kind of done for.”

  • A solution to the Phillies’ fifth-starter spot? Skip it. But only for now.

    A solution to the Phillies’ fifth-starter spot? Skip it. But only for now.

    Here’s one way to handle not having an appealing choice to fill the fifth-starter spot: Skip it.

    With a day off Thursday in between home series against the Dodgers and Yankees, the Phillies are talking about going with four starters this time through the rotation, interim manager Don Mattingly said Monday.

    But, well, that may present problems, too.

    The Phillies are built to go only as far as their top three starting pitchers carry them. It’s imperative, then, for Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, and Jesús Luzardo to stay healthy. Whenever possible, extra rest between starts can help.

    Phillies trade deadline preview: Bullpen is becoming a top priority, and maybe the Mets can provide answers

    “In general, I like with those guys giving them their rest,” Mattingly said. “It’s not a situation where our depth is at a point where you can lose one of those guys. We’re going to need to keep them strong all year. So, we’re going to be careful with that.”

    Actually, the Phillies’ rotation depth is perilously thin.

    Although Wheeler opened the season on the injured list while recovering from complicated surgery to relieve a vein that was compressed between his collarbone and ribcage, the Phillies were unable to secure veteran pitchers to stash in triple A.

    Phillies starter Alan Rangel was optioned to triple A on Monday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Taijuan Walker filled out a season-opening rotation that included rookie Andrew Painter. Walker posted a 9.13 ERA in four starts and was released with nearly $18 million left on his contract when Wheeler returned at the end of April.

    Painter, meanwhile, got demoted to triple A with a 7.06 in June. The Phillies recalled righty Alan Rangel, who was optioned to triple A on Monday with a 5.40 ERA in three starts and three appearances behind an opener.

    The day off would enable Sánchez and Wheeler to start Saturday and Sunday, respectively, on regular (four days’) rest against the Yankees. In that case, the Phillies wouldn’t need a fifth starter until Tuesday night in Miami.

    And because of another day off July 30, they wouldn’t need a fifth starter again before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. A back-end starter is on Dave Dombrowski’s shopping list, though it’s likely less of a priority than a late-inning reliever and a right-handed bat.

    Baseball celebrated itself with All-Star Week. Next up: Avoiding self-destruction with a looming labor fight

    “I worry more about health than I worry about who we’re playing,” Mattingly said. “In general, I’m more worried about our guys staying strong and feeling good the whole year, the rest of the year than pushing them up for one series or another.

    “We need our guys all the way through.”

    If the Phillies choose to prioritize rest for Sánchez and Wheeler, the fifth-starter spot could come around Saturday against the Yankees. They could divide that start between relievers. With the promotion Monday of hard-throwing Alex McFarlane, they have nine relievers in the bullpen.

    Ideally, Painter would rejoin the rotation in the second half after improving his fastball and building confidence in the minors. He allowed two runs in 10 innings in his first two starts back in triple A before giving up seven runs in only 2⅔ innings in his final start before the All-Star break.

    Zack Wheeler throws the baseball against the Mets on June 21.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Hot Wheels

    Wheeler didn’t conceal that he was irked over not being picked by MLB for the National League All-Star team. And when the league made a late offer to put him on the roster if he agreed to pitch on one day’s rest, he declined, saying he was “not going be disrespected.”

    Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who led the NL team, declined to weigh in on the situation.

    “Zack made a personal decision that he thought was best for him,” Roberts said. “I think everyone respects it. So, I don’t really have a whole lot of color on that one.”

    Mike Trout said he loves Philly during Monday’s All-Star festivities. But he seems no closer to playing here.

    Extra bases

    Rookie right fielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. went viral for putting on sunglasses while catching a fly ball Sunday against the Mets. Mattingly’s reaction: “I would think you’d want to have them on the whole time. I thought he had the flip-downs on, and then later seeing it, I was like, ‘What in the world?’ I’ve never seen that.” … Wheeler (10-1, 2.13 ERA) will face Dodgers All-Star lefty Justin Wrobleski (10-2, 2.69) at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday.

  • Phillies bolster beleaguered bullpen, call up reliever Alex McFarlane from double-A Reading

    Phillies bolster beleaguered bullpen, call up reliever Alex McFarlane from double-A Reading

    In a move that could serve dual purposes, the Phillies called up hard-throwing reliever Alex McFarlane from double A, the team announced Monday.

    McFarlane, a 25-year-old right-hander, represents a fresh arm for a bullpen that was taxed Sunday in a 6-1 loss to the Mets. Five Phillies pitchers combined to throw 208 pitches, including 42 from Max Lazar and 31 from Seth Johnson in relief of No. 5 starter Alan Rangel, who needed 91 pitches to get through only four innings.

    To make room for McFarlane, Rangel was optioned to triple A.

    Phillies trade deadline preview: Bullpen is becoming a top priority, and maybe the Mets can provide answers

    “The stuff’s been really good,” interim manager Don Mattingly said of McFarlane. “I think he’s got a really good arm. Obviously he’s young, so don’t really know exactly what to expect. But we know he’s got the stuff to be build on.”

    It’s possible McFarlane will be with the team for only a few days. He got called up in a similar situation on April 24 and was optioned back to double A the next day.

    But the Phillies could also opt to keep McFarlane on the roster to determine if he could contribute down the stretch. The Phillies were already seeking help for the bullpen ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline — and that was before setup man Brad Keller was lost for the season to a torn elbow ligament.

    “We’ll just see what happens,” Mattingly said.

    Alex McFarlane was selected by the Phillies in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of the University of Miami. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    McFarlane has a 2.06 ERA in 32 appearances for double-A Reading with 47 strikeouts in 35 innings. He has held opponents to a .187 batting average. But he also has a 12.6% walk rate, which has delayed his promotion to triple A.

    In that case, this could be a chance for McFarlane to show that he can factor into the Phillies’ bullpen mix sooner than expected.

    “Just doing what I need to do, whatever the team asks for me,” he said. “Whenever the team calls, I’ll be ready.”

    Baseball celebrated itself with All-Star Week. Next up: Avoiding self-destruction with a looming labor fight

    One adjustment for McFarlane at the next level, either in the big leagues or triple A, will be the baseball.

    From the lower levels of the minors through double A, the baseball is softer, with slightly larger seams. It isn’t until triple A that the balls are the same as in the big leagues. Top pitching prospect Gage Wood, McFarlane’s teammate in double A, said he threw only one slider in the Futures Game on July 13 because the big-league baseball tended to pop out of his hand.

    McFarlane said he has played catch with the big-league ball in Reading to get more familiar with it.

    “Just started incorporating it and playing catch with it as much as I could and just getting familiar with the grips and all types of stuff,” he said. “It just feels a little smaller in my hand, so just took the time to adjust and just play light catch, understand how how the ball feels, and just be ready for whenever that call is.”

  • Phillies to wear 1939 throwbacks for Field of Dreams Game against Twins

    Phillies to wear 1939 throwbacks for Field of Dreams Game against Twins

    The 1939 Phillies were managed by a dentist, lost 30 of their final 37 games, and finished more than 50 games back of the pennant. So it’s safe to say the current Phils aren’t hoping to channel that squad next month when they wear 1939 throwback uniforms for the Field of Dreams Game.

    The jerseys — a sharp grey top with red and navy “Phillies” script across the chest — were unveiled Monday along with the uniforms that will be worn by Minnesota on Aug. 13 in Dyersville, Iowa. The Phils will wear navy hats with a bold red “P” on the front. The sleeve will feature the 1939 Baseball Centennial patch that all teams wore that season.

    The Phillies will wear their Field of Dreams uniforms on Aug. 13. Daniel Shirey

    This year’s game is the third Field of Dreams Game and first since 2022, which is played at a ballpark constructed adjacent to the field used to film the 1989 movie. The game will air on Netflix. The ballpark holds about 7,800 fans, and the big league players usually enter the game by walking through the cornfield, just as the White Sox players did in the film.

    Kyle Schwarber did a promo shoot including the Field of Dreams uniforms last month. Daniel Shirey

    The 1939 Phillies started the season by training in a small Texas town, where they received “one of the warmest welcomes ever accorded a team at spring training.” It was the highlight of the season. By the end of May, they were 12 games back. Doc Prothro, the new manager who pulled teeth in the offseason, had “more cavities to fill than any other team in the National League,” the Inquirer wrote.

  • Phillies look ahead to Dodgers after No. 5 starter Alan Rangel struggles in series loss to Mets

    Phillies look ahead to Dodgers after No. 5 starter Alan Rangel struggles in series loss to Mets

    Bring on the Dodgers.

    No, really, bring ’em on. So what if the two-time defending World Series champs are still the best team in baseball? The Phillies would sooner face them for three days than talk about what happened Sunday.

    Oh, all right. A few words about that:

    In the latest noncompetitive dud from a No. 5 starter (more on that later), Alan Rangel gave up five runs before some fans found their seats. The Phillies managed six hits and lost, 6-1, to the Mets to drop the first series after the All-Star break, their warts on display.

    Phillies trade deadline preview: Bullpen is becoming a top priority, and maybe the Mets can provide answers

    But hey, that’s life when neither Cristopher Sánchez nor Zack Wheeler pitches in a series. That won’t be the case against the Dodgers. Sánchez is scheduled to start the opener Monday night followed by Wheeler in the second game.

    So, bring on the champs, right?

    “Obviously they’re a good team, one of the best,” said Alec Bohm, whose homer accounted for the offense. “I think just the opportunity is to win some games. I don’t think it’s anything crazy. It’s kind of getting down to that time of the year. We’re in the second half now. We just want to come in and take care of business.”

    Say this: It’s a measuring-stick series. The Dodgers are talented and endlessly deep, with the best record in baseball — 63-36, a 103-win pace, through the opener of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch this week because of left knee pain, but he went 2-for-5 with a double and drove in two runs Sunday in Game 1 against the Yankees, so hitting won’t be a problem.

    Phillies starter Alan Rangel gave up two runs in the first inning and three in the second in a loss to the Mets on Sunday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    The Phillies were still ascending from a season-opening 9-19 hole when they visited Dodger Stadium the last weekend in May. They lost two of three, including Wheeler’s only defeat in 15 starts.

    But they went 9-3 against the Dodgers over the last two regular seasons and lost three games by a total of four runs in the divisional round last year. Dodgers officials didn’t want to face the Phillies and were mostly relieved to survive the series.

    They could be headed for an October rematch, in which case the Dodgers’ uneasy feeling won’t likely subside if Sánchez, Wheeler, and Jesús Luzardo are lined up to pitch.

    To get there, though, the Phillies need more from the back of the rotation. They are 41-14 when Sánchez, Wheeler, or Luzardo start; in starts made by anyone else, they are 14-31, including 10 consecutive losses from the No. 5 spot.

    Baseball celebrated itself with All-Star Week. Next up: Avoiding self-destruction with a looming labor fight

    “Obviously,” interim manager Don Mattingly said, “you don’t want to have a day that we never win.”

    The Phillies haven’t won with a No. 5 starter since May 18. Since then, Andrew Painter got demoted to triple A, where the results have been mixed. Rotation depth is an organizational weakness. Rangel is the best (only?) option — and has a 5.75 ERA since replacing Painter.

    Rangel’s next start would be Saturday at home against the Yankees. Will he make it?

    “It’s something to talk about,” Mattingly said. “Now is not a great time to talk about that when you’re 10 minutes after the game. But I’m sure it’s something that everybody’s looking at.”

    With a day off Thursday, the Phillies could skip the No. 5 spot and have Sánchez, Wheeler, and Aaron Nola start on regular (four days’) rest. In that case, they would need a fifth starter only once before the Aug. 3 trade deadline — and not until July 28 in Miami.

    Bryce Harper pauses during a pitching change in the sixth inning against the Mets on Sunday.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer

    Before sending Rangel to the mound against the Mets, Mattingly wondered how the 28-year-old righty would fare after facing them three weeks earlier in New York.

    It’s safe to say the advantage went to the Mets.

    “My mind wasn’t there,” Rangel said through a team interpreter. “I wasn’t thinking about that. I wasn’t worried about that. I was just trying to make my pitches and just try to do that.”

    Rangel said he sensed some hitters seemed to change their approach “maybe a little.” He relies heavily on his changeup and deceptive over-the-top delivery to get soft contact. This time, the Mets fouled off a lot of pitches against him.

    “I think more than anything he just wasn’t able to put guys away,” Mattingly said. “Second time they’ve seen him. Everybody’s making adjustments.”

    Mike Trout said he loves Philly during Monday’s All-Star festivities. But he seems no closer to playing here.

    To wit: Bo Bichette fouled off six consecutive pitches and worked an 11-pitch walk with two out in the first inning. Rangel then left a fastball over the plate to Francisco Lindor for a two-run homer into the second deck in right field.

    It got worse for Rangel in the second inning. Brett Baty led off with a single before Luis Torrens lined an RBI double. Juan Soto walked and Bichette singled to load the bases for Lindor, who stroked an RBI single. Carson Benge lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0.

    How’s that for deflating in the rubber game of a series?

    “Well, it can be,” Mattingly said. “You know, getting down five early. With that, the guy on the mound today [Mets ace Nolan McLean], he was good. It puts you in a tough spot. … It feels like kind of all day you’re kind of out of it.”

    The Phillies won’t face the Mets again until September. Before that, New York is expected to be an active seller at the trade deadline, with several pitchers who could help the Phillies, perhaps none more than right-hander Clay Holmes.

    A closer-turned-starter, Holmes is rehabbing from a right leg fracture. If he shows he’s healthy in upcoming minor-league starts, he would fit the Phillies as a No. 5 starter down the stretch who could easily transition to a late-inning relief role in the postseason.

    In the meantime, here come Ohtani and the Dodgers.

    At least the Phillies will have Sánchez and Wheeler waiting for them.