The Phillies need their biggest trade acquisition to step up in the final month.
Despite rumors regarding a blockbuster trade the Phillies kept things quiet at the trade deadline and added Pirates outfielder Corey Dickerson. A .300 hitter with a Gold Glove to his name, Dickerson was a low-risk/high-reward acquisition for Philadelphia in a trade deadline that underwhelmed many fans.
Through his first 14 games the Phillies didn’t get much out of Dickerson, especially for someone they hoped could hit in the middle of their lineup. Dickerson hit .240 with zero walks and 14 strikeouts, though he did add three home runs. While the power was nice to see, Dickerson wasn’t brought in to hit dingers, he was brought in to add stability as an on-base guy.
Thankfully for the club, Dickerson appears to have gotten more comfortable in his new digs, hitting .368 in his last four games with three doubles and a triple. His season-high four-hit game in Miami on Saturday was an exciting sign for Philadelphia, who desperately need their new left fielder to help carry an offense that managed just four hits in Miami on Sunday.
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With Bryce Harper likely returning from the paternity list on Monday the Phillies offense should be back to where it was in Boston when they swept the Red Sox and scored eight runs in two games.
Now is the time for Philadelphia to start clicking with less than 40 games left in the season. They’ll get some minor reinforcements in September, but they can’t rely on a couple of minor league arms to help push them towards a wild card berth.
Guys like Dickerson need to step up and help carry the load for the rest of the season, or else the 2019 season will be another lost year for the franchise.