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Category: Phillies/MLB

  • Mets jump on José Alvarado in seventh inning of Phillies’ 6-4 loss

    Mets jump on José Alvarado in seventh inning of Phillies’ 6-4 loss

    José Alvarado thought the inning was over.

    The Mets had already scored one run against the Phillies reliever to break the 3-3 tie in the seventh, and threatened for more with two runners on. But Marcus Semien fouled a cutter back into J.T. Realmuto’s glove for what Alvarado thought was an inning-ending strikeout, and he started to walk off the mound.

    Home plate umpire Brian Walsh checked the ball and found a dirt mark on it, proving that it had touched the ground before entering Realmuto’s glove. It gave the Mets second baseman a new life. And Semien made the most of it, sending Alvarado’s next pitch to the center field wall, above a jumping Justin Crawford.

    “It ends up being the right call,” interim manager Don Mattingly said. “Not a call I like, but the right call.”

    Mets’ Bo Bichette says he wasn’t close to signing with the Phillies in the offseason

    What was nearly an inning-ending strikeout instead became a bases-clearing triple, putting the Mets ahead to beat the Phillies, 6-4, in Thursday’s series opener. Alvarado, whose season ERA has risen to 6.58, was charged with the loss.

    Alvarado was nearly out of the inning even before that. He had allowed a leadoff single to start the seventh inning, but battled back to induce a line out and pop out, respectively, from Bo Bichette and Juan Soto, who had been the Mets’ most dangerous hitter all night. He then brought pinch-hitting Mark Vientos to a 1-2 count.

    But Alvarado lost his command, throwing three straight cutters in the dirt to walk Vientos. He allowed another pinch-hitter to reach when Eric Wagaman singled, bringing up Semien.

    “Hitters feel confident that they can hit against me right now,” Alvarado said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “It seems like 100 mph is something they see a lot at this level. It’s not surprising anymore. They’re just hitting well against me right now.”

    All three hits Alvarado gave up on Thursday came on his sinker. Hitters are batting .333 against the pitch this year, and .268 on his cutter.

    After the Phillies optioned fellow lefty Tanner Banks earlier on Thursday, it is more crucial that Alvarado turns his season around. Alvarado and Tim Mayza are the Phillies’ only left-handed options on the roster, though Kyle Backhus (left elbow inflammation) is progressing on his rehab assignment and is nearing a return.

    “We’re a nick away from catching strike three, just touches the ground. So we just keep paying attention to him,” Mattingly said of Alvarado. “But, I mean, the ball’s coming out, it’s not like he’s down in velo or anything like that. Just got to get the ball to the right spots.”

    It didn’t help that the Phillies’ bats went cold after the fourth inning. After the Mets jumped out to an early lead against starter Aaron Nola, courtesy of a pair of solo homers from Soto and an RBI double A.J. Ewing hit over Brandon Marsh’s head in right field, the Phillies chipped away to tie it in the fourth.

    Phillies’ Trea Turner exits game vs. Mets after being hit by pitch

    Trea Turner was hit by a sweeper in the leg in the bottom of the first, and he scored on a single from Alec Bohm. Turner was later taken out of the game with a bruised right calf.

    “He said he had trouble on defense, felt like he was a liability on defense, so he couldn’t really move,” Mattingly said, adding that he hoped the day off Friday would help Turner be ready for Saturday night’s game.

    Bohm delivered another RBI in the third, doubling to drive in Kyle Schwarber and cut the Mets’ lead to 3-2. The Phillies’ designated hitter had reached first on a dropped third strike from Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez, and advanced to second when Alvarez botched the throw to first.

    In the fourth, Derek Hill tied the game at 3, singling up the middle to drive in Bryson Stott. But that proved to be the Phillies’ final hit until the ninth inning, as the bats fell mostly silent against the Mets bullpen.

    Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola allowed seven hits, but he limited the Mets to three runs to keep his team within striking distance.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Nola allowed seven hits, but he limited the Mets to three runs to keep his team within striking distance. Seth Johnson and Bryse Wilson, who both had been recalled earlier on Thursday, each appeared in relief. Johnson retired the side in order in the sixth with a pair of strikeouts on his 99-mph fastball, while Wilson pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth after the Mets took the lead against Alvarado.

    “Seth was good tonight,” Mattingly said. “He’s been throwing the ball good in triple A, one of the best relievers in triple-A baseball. So stuff was good, threw in the strike zone, attacked, so it was good.”

    Andrew Painter was ‘understanding’ when told the Phillies were demoting him: ‘I have to get better’

    Down to their final out in the ninth, the offense showed a little life. Gabriel Rincones Jr., pinch-hitting for Hill, delivered the Phillies’ first hit since the fourth on an infield single to Bichette. Crawford followed it up with an RBI single to bring up Schwarber, representing the winning run with two on base.

    Schwarber worked a 2-2 count against Devin Williams, and hit a sharp liner, 104.6 mph off the bat, but it was straight at right fielder Brett Baty for the final out.

  • Phillies’ Trea Turner exits game vs. Mets after being hit by pitch

    Phillies’ Trea Turner exits game vs. Mets after being hit by pitch

    For the second time this week, Trea Turner left a game early after being hit by a pitch.

    The Phillies shortstop departed Thursday’s 6-4 loss to the Mets with a bruised right calf after taking a 79.2 mph sweeper off the leg from Sean Manaea in the first inning. Turner remained in the game initially as a baserunner, scoring a run, but was replaced at shortstop by Edmundo Sosa in the third inning.

    Mets jump on José Alvarado in seventh inning of Phillies’ 6-4 loss

    Sosa switched from left field, where he had started the game. Justin Crawford entered the game in center, sliding Derek Hill to right field and Brandon Marsh to left.

    “Got hit in a tough spot, right above the bottom of the calf towards the bottom, where he starts getting into the Achilles,” interim manager Don Mattingly said. “He was having trouble putting pressure, pushing off. … He said he was having trouble on defense, felt like he was a liability on defense, so he couldn’t really move. Day off [Friday], hopefully it’ll be good by the night game [Saturday]. We’ll see.”

    Turner exited Monday’s game against the Marlins with a bruised right wrist after getting drilled with a fastball, and sat out on Tuesday as it was still inflamed.

    In his return to the lineup Wednesday, Turner finished with three hits, and said he felt like he was “on a good track” at the plate.

  • Andrew Painter was ‘understanding’ when told the Phillies were demoting him: ‘I have to get better’

    Andrew Painter was ‘understanding’ when told the Phillies were demoting him: ‘I have to get better’

    Upon deciding Wednesday evening to send Andrew Painter back to triple A, several Phillies officials wondered how the rookie pitcher might react.

    “When you tell him,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski recalled pitching coach Caleb Cotham saying, “at that point, I don’t know how much more he’s going to hear.”

    But Painter is also self-aware enough to know that the Phillies couldn’t keep him in the starting rotation. Not with a 1-8 record and 7.06 ERA that was the second-worst mark among 115 pitchers with at least 60 innings.

    Andrew Painter has reached his Roy Halladay moment. It is on him to seize it.

    “He was understanding,” Dombrowski said. “He was sitting there and we talked to him, and it wasn’t like he said, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘I have to get better. I have to do better. I understand that.’”

    Specifically, Painter must improve a fastball that has been hit hard in his first major league season. Opponents are batting .404 and slugging .660 on the heater, which Painter has struggled to command. In giving up six runs in two innings Wednesday, he left two fastballs over the plate for homers to the Marlins’ Kyle Stowers and Owen Caissie.

    Dombrowski said Painter will throw multiple bullpen sessions for Lehigh Valley before making another start, likely in “a week or 10 days.”

    As Painter goes in search of a fastball that hasn’t been the same since he returned last year from Tommy John surgery, Dombrowski said the Phillies believe they identified the root of the issue.

    The Phillies hope Andrew Painter’s return to triple A won’t last long.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    “Most of it is delivery-oriented,” Dombrowski said. “That’s what it comes down to. Because when he’s done some things with his delivery, which is going more directly to the plate rather than spinning off, he’s had more life. And you see it at times.”

    The Phillies haven’t settled on how they will fill Painter’s spot in the rotation. One possibility: righty Bryse Wilson, who was selected from triple A and added to the 40-man roster.

    Wilson, 28, has a 4.82 ERA in 163 major league games, including 57 starts. He recently exercised an upward-mobility clause in his minor league contract, which may have influenced the Phillies’ decision to call him up now.

    Mets’ Bo Bichette says he wasn’t close to signing with the Phillies in the offseason

    In 11 starts for Lehigh Valley, Wilson had a 6.29 ERA. But he hasn’t allowed a run in 12 innings over his last three starts.

    Regardless, the Phillies are hopeful that Painter’s return to triple A won’t be long-lasting.

    “He was searching,” interim manager Don Mattingly said. “It felt like he was working on something in between [starts], and trying to figure it out, and trying to compete and all that. You’re still going to have to compete at triple A, but the result is not necessarily the most important thing. It’s more about what you’re doing and how you feel about it.

    “I think he’s just going to come back more sure of himself, what he wants to do.”

    Phillies reliever Tanner Banks has a 5.86 ERA in 26 appearances this season.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Banks demoted

    With the Phillies in need of a fresh arm after the bullpen worked seven innings in relief of Painter, lefty Tanner Banks was optioned to triple A. Right-hander Seth Johnson got called up.

    Banks, who began the season as the No. 2 lefty in the bullpen behind Jose Alvarado, has a 5.86 ERA in 26 appearances. He gave up two homers Wednesday against the Marlins after allowing one to that point in the season.

    ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Caleb Cotham talks aces, the development of Andrew Painter, and more

    “In general, he just has to be better,” Mattingly said. “This gives him a chance to reset, work on his stuff, and just get himself back on the right track.”

    Johnson has dominated in triple A, with a 1.33 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 27 innings. The 27-year-old righty was acquired from the Orioles at the trade deadline in 2024 for reliever Gregory Soto.

    Adolis García batted .195 with seven homers and a .599 OPS in his first (and only?) season with the Phillies.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Surgery for García

    Right fielder Adolis García will have season-ending surgery Wednesday to repair a torn lat muscle near his right shoulder. The projected timetable for a return to play is 6-8 months, according to the Phillies.

    García was injured on a throw to home plate in a June 10 game in Toronto. He signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Phillies in December and batted .195 with seven homers and a .599 OPS. Despite his lack of production at the plate, he was a superb defender in right field.

    Is there a better duo in baseball than Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sánchez? We asked the experts.

    The Phillies were shopping for a right-handed bat even before losing Garcia for the season. Lefty-hitting Gabriel Rincones Jr., recalled last week from triple A, will get the majority of at-bats in right field against right-handed pitching. Rincones missed the first two months of the season with knee inflammation.

    “He’s going to get that chance,” Dombrowski said. “We’ll see what happens. They felt he was swinging the bat well [in triple A], and he was starting to play every single day. So, we’ll see.”

    Extra bases

    The Phillies signed lefty Kolby Allard to a minor-league contract and sent him to triple A as rotation depth. Allard, 28, had a 5.00 ERA for the Phillies in seven games (four starts) in 2024. … After a rare Friday off, the Phillies and Mets will continue their series at 7:15 p.m. Saturday. Cristopher Sánchez (8-3, 1.82 ERA) is scheduled to face Mets righty Freddy Peralta (5-5, 3.90).

  • Mets’ Bo Bichette says he wasn’t close to signing with the Phillies in the offseason

    Mets’ Bo Bichette says he wasn’t close to signing with the Phillies in the offseason

    Even now, five months later, Phillies officials say they went to sleep Jan. 15 believing they were on the verge of signing Bo Bichette as a free agent.

    Bichette has a slightly different recollection.

    “I thought it was an opportunity, for sure, but there was definitely things that needed to be worked out for that to become a possibility,” the Mets shortstop said Thursday before facing the Phillies for the first time this season. “So, no, I didn’t think that [it was close].”

    The Phillies were ‘very close’ to getting Bo Bichette and ended up with J.T. Realmuto. Here’s how it happened.

    The Phillies made a seven-year, $200 million offer to Bichette to play third base. If he accepted, it would’ve set in motion other moves, including a likely trade of Alec Bohm and not re-signing longtime catcher J.T. Realmuto.

    But the rival Mets swooped in Jan. 16 with a three-year, $126 million offer that included an opt-out after each of the first two years. Bichette chose the higher annual salary and the shorter term.

    Most Phillies officials said they found out about it like the public did — through reports in the media. Some within the halls of Citizens Bank Park were said to be angry.

    Dave Dombrowski referred to it as a “gut punch,” although he conceded that the Phillies and Bichette never signed a “memorandum of understanding,” the document that would’ve constituted a deal.

    “At 11 o’clock that night, we had a deal, in our opinion,” owner John Middleton told The Inquirer in February. “Not finalized. And the Mets did nothing that we wouldn’t have done and haven’t done, so I don’t blame the Mets. But you went to bed at 11 o’clock thinking we had a deal, and I woke up at 8 o’clock worried we didn’t have a deal, and two hours later, I knew we didn’t have a deal.”

    The member of the organization who is closest to Bichette also thought the star infielder was headed to Philadelphia. Interim manager Don Mattingly, newly hired in January as the Phillies’ bench coach, was ready to welcome Bichette.

    “I was a little surprised because I thought it was one of those that, it was kind of a done deal — or at least really close to it and looked good for us, you know?” Mattingly said Thursday. “I know some stuff went down timing-wise that changed things. But guys have got to do what they’ve got to do for their own career.”

    Bichette, 28, has caught fire lately after a brutal start with the Mets. He had 14 hits in 26 at-bats entering Thursday night and was 24-for-62 (.387) with five doubles, three homers, and a 1.039 OPS in June.

    Phillies send Andrew Painter down to triple A after another ugly start

    The Phillies are still looking for a middle-of-the-order bat, preferably from the right side.

    Bichette, whose godfather is former Phillies manager Joe Girardi, was clearly a fit. But he said he never reached out to Girardi to ask about Philadelphia.

    He never pictured how he’d look in red pinstripes, either.

    “I mean, we had a lot of good talks,” Bichette said. “It’s a great team over there, and obviously Donnie being over there was enticing to me. But at the end of the day, I think it just became obvious to me that [the Mets] was the right decision for me and my wife.”

    Bichette said he wasn’t sure what type of reception he would receive when he came to the plate in the first inning.

    “It’s a passionate fan base, you know?” Bichette said, smiling. “You watch Eagles games and Phillie games. I don’t know what the reception will be, but I definitely won’t be surprised at anything.”

  • MLB eliminating clock for All-Star Home Run Derby as event switches to Netflix

    MLB eliminating clock for All-Star Home Run Derby as event switches to Netflix

    NEW YORK — Baseball’s Home Run Derby is eliminating the clock.

    Each hitter will have 20 swings in the first round of this year’s contest at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park on July 13, Major League Baseball said Thursday. The change coincides with a switch in broadcaster to Netflix from ESPN, which had televised the event since 1994.

    A player who homers on swing 20 will keep on swinging until he doesn’t connect for a long ball. The top four hitters advance, with distance of the longest homer used as a tiebreaker.

    Hitters will be seeded for the second round, where No. 1 faces 4 and 2 meets 3.

    Each player takes 15 swings in the second round, with batters again homering on their final swing continuing until not homering. A best-of-three swingoff would break ties.

    The format for the second round will be used for the final.

    No bonus rounds will be used.

  • Andrew Painter has reached his Roy Halladay moment. It is on him to seize it.

    Andrew Painter has reached his Roy Halladay moment. It is on him to seize it.

    Somebody needs to tell Andrew Painter to remember one number.

    10.64

    He needs to say it out loud until it is ingrained in his memory, then he needs to take that memory with him.

    Ten-point-six-four.

    He needs to carry it, to own it, to believe in it. All the way down to Allentown and then to wherever his career takes him next. Buy a notebook, maybe. That’s what Roy Halladay did. Halladay knew that number better than anybody. He felt it. He owned it, rather than letting it own him.

    After his latest rough start, can Andrew Painter keep pitching for the Phillies?

    That number — 10.64 — was Halladay’s ERA in 67⅔ innings as a 23-year-old big leaguer. It is nearly three runs higher than the ERA that just earned Painter a demotion to triple-A Lehigh Valley after allowing six runs in two innings of the Phillies’ 12-4 loss to the Marlins on Wednesday. Halladay ended up spending his 24th birthday facing class-A minor league hitters in Dunedin, Fla. As the old saying goes: It’s not how far you fall, it’s how high you bounce.

    Painter is 25 days older than Halladay was when he lost his spot in the Blue Jays’ rotation in 2000. He is nearly a full year younger than Halladay was when he began the process of reinventing himself, both mechanically and mentally. It is a shame that Halladay is no longer around. He almost certainly would have shared all of this with Painter personally.

    Failing is easy. The hard work is what comes next. It’s an endeavor upon which Painter must embark. The 65 innings he has logged as a major leaguer offer plenty from which to learn. They have told him that his fastball will not play in its current form, whether he grips it with four seams or two. Against the Marlins on Wednesday, Painter threw just 19 of them on 56 pitches. Ten of those fastballs prompted swings. None of them were whiffs.

    Unlike a lot of young pitchers, Painter’s issues are not related to control. Heading into Wednesday, he was walking an average of 3.1 batters per nine innings, against 7.1 strikeouts. The big issue is the contact, a lot of it loud. The two-run home run he allowed to Kyle Stowers in the first inning was his 13th in the last 49⅔ innings. It is an unsustainable pace, grotesquely so. The Phillies had no other choice even without better options.

    You aren’t going to win many games when your starter lasts only two innings, allowed eight of 14 batters to reach base, and allows six of those eight batters to score. By the end, the Phillies had used six relievers, two of whom threw 26-plus pitches. That didn’t include backup catcher Garrett Stubbs, the human white flag. He was one of two pitchers who didn’t allow a run.

    Trea Turner slams his bat down after striking out in the sixth inning.
    Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    It was not a fun afternoon, especially for Don Mattingly. The Phillies interim manager got a good look at two of the biggest reasons his team may be destined to spend the rest of the season attempting to yo-yo away from .500 and toward 90 wins. It is very hard to break off a long winning streak when you have holes at the top of your lineup and the back of your rotation. In Painter and Trea Turner, the Phillies had both. Now, they have one.

    On Wednesday, Mattingly went back to the old drawing board with Turner, his struggling leadoff hitter. Turner went 3-for-5 with a double, his first three-hit game since May 9. The Phillies desperately need it to be the start of something.

    Trea Turner gets ‘on a good track’ with three hits in return to the Phillies lineup

    With Painter in the minors and no obvious replacement, the onus will fall even more squarely on Turner. He entered the day with a brutal .595 OPS. He has a lot more work to do to reestablish a rightful claim as a set-it-and-forget-it leadoff man. Mattingly can’t afford to be too patient, especially given the aftertaste of success from Tuesday’s experiment with Brandon Marsh in the one-hole.

    If the manager’s latest exhibition of patience doesn’t result in a serious heater from Turner, he shouldn’t hesitate to climb back outside of the box and see what happens with Marsh setting the table. Three consecutive lefty-on-lefty matchups for an opposing bullpen isn’t ideal, but it can be better than anybody-on-Turner. I don’t know if that counts as a real solution. After all, Turner still has to hit somewhere.

    It has been an unfortunate season for 24-year-old 40-man roster member Jean Cabrera, who has a 9.39 ERA in 13 starts between triple A and double A. Gage Wood, last year’s first-rounder, has pitched well in Reading. But a big-league promotion is a bit ambitious. The more realistic answer is to patch it together the way the Phillies did for much of 2024 and 2025.

    Andrew Painter gave up six earned runs on six hits, including two home runs, in two innings against the Marlins on Wednesday.
    Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    The bigger concern is Painter’s future. The Phillies have clung to the hope of him for four years now. He has shown plenty to justify the belief. He was brilliant in his debut, more than adequate in his next two. He logged back-to-back quality starts as recently as late May. He has not recorded more than four strikeouts in any of his last eight starts. But the fastball is a problem, and he must figure it out. The velocity isn’t there like it was in his peak prospect days. But 94-96 mph is not a bad baseline.

    Can it be fixed? If it can, it wasn’t going to happen at the major league level. With the All-Star break drawing near and Painter probably needing some form of workload management in his first big league season, it was hard to make an argument for keeping him in the majors. A lot of what comes next comes down to Painter. Responding to failure isn’t easy. But it is a personal choice.

  • Trea Turner gets ‘on a good track’ with three hits in return to the Phillies lineup

    Trea Turner gets ‘on a good track’ with three hits in return to the Phillies lineup

    Trea Turner didn’t waste any time in his return to the Phillies lineup.

    The shortstop sat out Tuesday’s game with a bruised wrist after getting hit by a fastball the day prior. But once the swelling went down, he was back in the lineup on Wednesday — and was back atop the order for the first time since May 25.

    Turner singled to lead off the first inning against Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara and then picked up two more hits, including a double, to finish 3-for-5 in the 12-4 loss. It marked his first game with at least three hits since May 9.

    After his latest rough start, can Andrew Painter keep pitching for the Phillies?

    For the past three weeks, Kyle Schwarber has been leading off for the Phillies, and interim manager Don Mattingly even used Brandon Marsh in the No. 1 spot for a one-game experiment on Tuesday. But Mattingly said he always planned for Turner to return to being his long-term leadoff hitter because of his base-stealing ability.

    “He’s able to run up there,” Mattingly said. “He gets behind Schwarb, and he’s on, he’s not able to run. Always wanted him there.”

    Turner’s three hits on Wednesday raised his season batting average to .233, and he also stole his 15th base of the season. There’s still work to be done for him to dig out of this slump, but he saw positive signs on Wednesday.

    “I think I did a lot of good things today from my standpoint, just kind of competing, and two-strike hitting,” Turner said. “Fouled off some pitches I probably would’ve swung and missed at, and I feel like I was doing what I wanted up there. I felt like real positive individually today from just my at-bats standpoint, and felt like I’m on a good track.”

    Phillies pitcher Jesús Luzardo allowed two runs in seven innings in an 8-2 victory over the Marlins on Tuesday.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Luzardo’s splits

    Jesús Luzardo describes himself as a “creature of habit.”

    A lot of it is because of superstition. The glasses Luzardo wears on the mound don’t actually correct his vision, but he wears them because in the past, he didn’t pitch well without them.

    The lefty is strict about his routines, so he would know better than anyone if there was an underlying change causing the discrepancy in his home and road splits.

    And this year, the difference between the numbers has been stark: he has a 1.55 ERA in seven road starts, compared to a 6.60 ERA in eight starts at Citizens Bank Park. His strikeout and walk numbers are around the same, but the contact that Luzardo has given up has been much harder at home. Of the nine homers he’s allowed this season, eight were at home.

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    Luzardo doesn’t have an explanation for it.

    “I just really think it’s a coincidence,” Luzardo said. “It’s unfortunate, obviously. No one wants to pitch bad, especially at home, but the routine stays the same.”

    Luzardo was slightly better on the road in 2025, his first season as a Phillie. He posted a 3.67 ERA in 16 away games compared to 4.16 in 16 home games. But the difference has never been this extreme.

    Luzardo hopes the start he made at home Tuesday, when he held the Marlins to two runs over seven innings, could be the beginning of a new trend.

    “Obviously, I know I can do it,” he said. “I felt really good. So, hopefully, just keep building on that.”

    Brandon Marsh is third among National League outfielders in All-Star voting.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Marsh on All-Star vote

    MLB released its first voting update for the 2026 All-Star Game, and Brandon Marsh is on track to make it to the next phase.

    Marsh, who entered Wednesday with a .327 batting average, good for third in baseball, accumulated 668,191 votes as of June 15. That places him third among National League outfielders, behind the Dodgers’ Andy Pages (800,496) and the Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. (693,472).

    Once Phase 1 of voting concludes on June 25, the top two position players and top six outfielders in each league will advance to the second round. After Phase 2, the top position player and top three outfielders will be named starters.

    ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Caleb Cotham talks aces, the development of Andrew Painter, and more

    If his trajectory holds, Marsh will be an All-Star for the first time in his career. He said last week that it would be “really, really cool” to be included in the group, especially at home in Philadelphia. But for now, he isn’t paying much attention to the voting.

    “I really haven’t even looked at it, to be honest with you,” Marsh said. “Really, just trying to enjoy now, and just take it day by day, and see where it all falls out at the end.”

    Extra bases

    Aaron Nola (3-4, 5.86 ERA) is scheduled to start Thursday’s series opener against the Mets’ Sean Manaea (1-2, 4.78 ERA). It marks the Phillies’ first meeting against the Mets this season. … Shane Victorino and Larry Bowa will serve as managers for the All-Star Futures Game on July 12 at Citizens Bank Park, Major League Baseball announced Wednesday.

  • Phillies send Andrew Painter down to triple A after another ugly start

    Phillies send Andrew Painter down to triple A after another ugly start

    The bullpen door swung open as the third inning began, and the question couldn’t be held back any longer.

    Can Andrew Painter keep pitching for the Phillies?

    The answer: Not right now.

    Painter was sent to triple A Wednesday evening, a few hours after his hard-to-watch rookie season got even uglier. The Marlins pounded him for six runs on six hits, including two homers, and knocked him out after two innings of a 12-4 matinee rout in Citizens Bank Park.

    And so, Painter heads back to the minor leagues with a 1-8 record and a 7.06 ERA, the second-worst mark among 115 pitchers with at least 60 innings.

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    The Phillies announced Painter’s demotion at 6:15 p.m., a little more than two hours after the final out. They will make a corresponding roster move Thursday before opening a three-game series against the Mets.

    After the game, interim manager Don Mattingly wouldn’t commit to having Painter make his next start, saying “it’s something we’ll probably talk about.”

    The conversation happened quickly. After Mattingly spoke with reporters, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Preston Mattingly poked their heads into his office, just as they do after most games.

    It seems Painter was Topic A.

    Phillies rookie Andrew Painter gave up six earned runs on six hits, including two home runs, in two innings against the Marlins on Wednesday.
    Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    The situation is nuanced. The Phillies remain bullish on Painter as a high-end starter. For now, they’ve asked only that the 23-year-old righty keeps them in games. He hasn’t done that lately, allowing six, five, six, and four runs in his last four starts and pitching a total of 15 innings for a 12.60 ERA.

    So, although the Phillies continue to believe in Painter, and while they don’t have appealing alternatives in triple A, they couldn’t allow him to continue to pitch every fifth game.

    “The fastball’s just getting hit right now,” Painter said after the game, before the demotion. “So, you know, I think we’ve just got to evaluate. Just trying to find out who I am as a pitcher right now.”

    And who is he?

    “I’ve had to lean heavily on spin,” Painter said. “Sweepers and sliders have been great for me. Earlier in the year, the changeup was great, and right now, I’m kind of searching for it.”

    What if the Phillies’ most impactful addition was a resurgent Trea Turner? He’s working to make it happen.

    More than anything, though, Painter can’t locate his fastball. At least not the one that overpowered hitters in the low minors.

    It hasn’t been the same since he returned from a two-season absence after Tommy John elbow surgery in July 2023. It came and went last year in triple A, where he had a 5.40 ERA in 22 starts. Major leaguers were hitting .382 and slugging .573 against it entering the week.

    And that was before the Marlins’ Kyle Stowers and Owen Caissie teed off on center-cut heaters for two-run and solo homers, respectively, as Painter left the Phillies in 2-0 and 6-2 holes.

    “I don’t know if he feels like he can really get down the mound and really get after guys because he’s searching for that feeling that he had before,” catcher Garrett Stubbs said. “And it’s really hard.”

    Andrew Painter fell to 1-8 with a 7.06 ERA, second-worst among 115 pitchers with at least 60 innings.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Painter’s fastball velocity hasn’t dipped. His trust in the pitch, however, clearly has. Mattingly wants Painter to pitch with more “aggression.” Painter has talked about having greater conviction.

    Neither is apparent.

    “It’s just trying to get him to get out there and have that dog mentality that Philadelphia represents,” Stubbs said. “Go out and just kind of say [bleep] it and get after ‘em.

    “He knows that it’s in there. He just needs to go find it.”

    Painter has appeared downcast after recent starts. He sat facing his locker, dressed in full uniform, last Friday in Milwaukee. Even as Mattingly and pitching coach Caleb Cotham highlighted the positives, the results have been wholly negative.

    ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Caleb Cotham talks aces, the development of Andrew Painter, and more

    Painter said his confidence is “about as good as it can be right now under the circumstances.” But he’s also human. Mattingly guessed Painter’s belief in himself “almost has to waver some.”

    “He’s been pretty resilient to this point,” Mattingly said. “But I’m sure it’s wavering.”

    Painter will search for his fastball in Lehigh Valley. His replacement isn’t apparent. The triple-A rotation consists of Tucker Davidson (6.50 ERA), Alan Rangel (3.74), Bryse Wilson (6.29), Brian Keller (4.35), and Chuck King (4.02). Rangel, the best of the bunch, started Wednesday night for the IronPigs and could slide into Painter’s spot.

    Mattingly said the Phillies were encouraged by Painter’s between-starts bullpen session. But Painter’s fastball failed him again. And after a 33-pitch second inning, which included an 11-pitch at-bat that ended with Xavier Edwards’ two-out infield single, Mattingly went to the bullpen.

    Painter said he can feel it in his hand when he throws a fastball that has “a little more life.” He’s trying to recapture that feeling more consistently. It’s elusive.

    “It’s tough,” he said after the shortest start by a non-opener Phillies starter since Jesús Luzardo lasted two innings last July 4. “You can have the best secondary stuff in the world, but everything kind of plays off the fastball.

    Is it finally time for Mike Trout to be traded? The all-in Phillies make too much sense.

    “We’ve been searching for some things, and it’s gotten a little better than what it was. But it’s still obviously not to the extent of what it was pre-[surgery]. So, just trying to make adjustments and figure out what’s going to have the most success.”

    Maybe the answers are in triple A.

    “It’s going out there and having a few good outings in a row where you can keep getting after it and know that my stuff’s going to be in the zone and get guys out like he wants to,” Stubbs said. “And a lot of it probably is that confidence piece, right?

    “The expectations are high, and everyone wants to win, and the city wants to win. He’ll get there. I have full confidence that he’ll get there.”

    Not before taking a detour.

  • Shane Victorino and Larry Bowa to manage in Futures Game during All-Star week

    Shane Victorino and Larry Bowa to manage in Futures Game during All-Star week

    Shane Victorino and Larry Bowa will serve as managers for the 2026 All-Star Futures Game, Major League Baseball announced Wednesday.

    The Futures Game showcases baseball’s top minor league prospects in a seven-inning game. Victorino will be at the helm of the National League team, while Bowa will manage the American League prospects. The Futures Game will be held on July 12 at Citizens Bank Park as part of the All-Star week festivities.

    ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Larry Bowa on Philly’s 1976 All-Star Game, a Trea Turner rebound, and more

    Victorino and Bowa won the World Series with the Phillies during their playing careers. Victorino was a key member of the championship core in 2008, while Bowa was the starting shortstop when the franchise captured its first title in 1980. Following his 16-season playing career, Bowa transitioned to coaching and won Manager of the Year in 2001 with the Phillies. He serves as a senior advisor to baseball operations with the team.

    Last year, the Phillies were represented by catcher Eduardo Tait, who was later dealt to the Twins as part of a trade package for Jhoan Duran. Andrew Painter was also included on the National League roster but did not make an appearance.

  • John Kruk was great in the stands, especially when the new Sixers GM jinxed the Phillies

    John Kruk was great in the stands, especially when the new Sixers GM jinxed the Phillies

    Mike Gansey’s tenure in Philadelphia isn’t off to a great start, but it has nothing to do with the 76ers.

    The Sixers’ new president of basketball operations joined NBC Sports Philadelphia’s annual broadcast from the stands Tuesday night alongside coach Nick Nurse, with Phillies pitcher Jesús Luzardo cruising through four innings.

    “No hitter’s still intact,” Gansey said, immediately drawing a groan from Phillies announcer John Kruk.

    “Oh boy,” Kruk moaned.

    The very next pitch, Miami Marlins third baseman Javier Sanoja hit a single to left field, ending Luzardo’s no-hitter.

    While Tom McCarthy quickly moved on to discussing what’s going on with the Sixers, Kruk sat silently annoyed, a knowing grin on his face as he quietly chewed his gum.

    Later, in the bottom of the fifth inning, when McCarthy mentioned Luzardo had just given up his first two hits, Kruk hadn’t forgotten why.

    “We know who gave that one up,” Kruk said dryly. “I was like, ‘Thank God none of us said it,’ because we could get crucified right now.”

    Gansey appeared to take it all in stride, apologizing to Luzardo in a video shared on social media Wednesday afternoon.

    “You pitched great, got a win, that’s all that matters,” Gansey said. “I got two tickets for you any time you want to come to a Sixers game.”

    Kruk and Gansey share a West Virginia connection. Kruk grew up in Keyser, W.Va., while Gansey finished his college basketball career with the Mountaineers.

    “I lived in Morgantown for two years,” Gansey said.

    “And your liver’s still intact?” Kruk shot back.

    Kruk and the rest of the NBC Sports Philadelphia crew — McCarthy, Ruben Amaro Jr., and Ben Davis — had prime seats right behind home plate at Citizens Bank Park Tuesday to watch the Phillies blowout the Miami Marlins 8-2.

    Tom McCarthy is in his 20th season as the TV voice of the Phillies. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    It was the 11th time the broadcast waded out into the stands, an annual tradition (with a break for COVID) dating back to 2014. And no offense to everyone else, but Kruk is easily the star of the show, consistently tossing out a well-timed joke or unvarnished opinion just when the broadcast needs it.

    “How do I say this politically … sometimes these umpires aren’t really great,” Kruk said when asked about the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System.

    His best line of the night came when he told Nurse his poster was hanging in an office at Florida Gulf Coast University when they were recruiting Kruk’s daughter, Keira (who ended up attending Berry College in Georgia).

    “My wife played volleyball there,” Nurse said, noting she was sitting elsewhere in the stands.

    “I didn’t want to bring it up, because 50% of people get divorced,” Kruk joked.

    There was also Kruk’s deadpan response to a pop-up that came down just to the left of the broadcast crew in the stands.

    “Oh please hit me in the head,” Kruk said.

    Sitting behind home plate was a first for NBC Sports Philadelphia, but announcers have previously called games for the network from above the bullpen, behind the Phillies’ on-deck circle, from Harry the K’s restaurant, behind the dugout, and from the outfield, where McCarthy actually snagged a home run hit by Atlanta Braves slugger Freddie Freeman.

    The station also brought its studio show into the stadium, with Amy Fadool and Ricky Bottalico set up in Section 109 during Phillies Pregame Live. And it took the opportunity to ding Kruk when highlighting Citizen Bank Park’s best food and drink options.

    The broadcast also featured a brief interview with Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet, which led to a side trip down memory lane.

    “Do you remember, probably in the late ’80s, doing a signing in Aston, Pennsylvania at a bank?” Davis said. “I rode there on my bike … I went in and you had the long hair and a black and white photo. You signed it for me, and I still have it at my parent’s house.”

    The night wouldn’t have been complete without the Phillie Phanatic tormenting Kruk. But the veteran broadcaster quickly put his hoodie on in the sixth inning when the mascot came tumbling by holding a giant bag of popcorn, which he dumped all over Amaro.

    The Phillie Phanatic roughs up the Phillies announcers during the Miami Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies MLB baseball game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    “Does anybody want any popcorn?” Amaro said.

    “I see where you’re reaching to get it. Absolutely not,” Kruk responded.

    Considering the lack of action by the Marlins, it’s no surprise the Phanatic and his antics with the Phillies announcers snuck into the Marlins’ TV broadcast.

    The Phillies will go for the sweep Wednesday at 1:05 p.m., with McCarthy and Kruk in the booth. The pair will be back to call the first of a three-game series against the New York Mets Thursday night before handing the weekend games off to Fox on Saturday and NBC for Sunday Night Baseball.

    The good news is NBC is bringing Kruk back to call Sunday’s game, pairing him up with former Mets reliever John Franco and play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti.