The Philadelphia Phillies are looking to stay on top of the National League East as long as they can.
The Joe Girardi-led squad started strong — going undefeated in its first four games — before losing to the New York Mets on Tuesday. However, in the three-game series against their division rival, the Phillies managed to get the best of them and win two of three.
The Phillies’ strengths and weaknesses became evident in the set, the latter of which needs to be addressed to continue their red-hot momentum even further into the season.
Rhys Hoskins shines in Phillies series win against their division-rival Mets.
Ever since their series sweep against the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies have been electric at the plate — particularly with their ability to get on base, put the ball in play, and score runs. Veteran first baseman Rhys Hoskins, has started the year being the familiar name fans brag about carrying a heavier presence on offense. Hoskins has always had the power and ability to put runs on the board, but this season he is putting the league on notice.
Hoskins has an impressive 1.208 OPS through six games and is currently tied for the major-league lead in doubles (6). His contributions in Wednesday’s series finale against the Mets were massive — recording a home run, two doubles, and an RBI. Overall against the Mets, Hoskins collected seven hits — including four doubles and a home run.
Among the others players who contributed to the team’s series win against the Mets included young third baseman Alec Bohm and flame-throwing relief pitcher Jose Alvarado. Bohm recorded hits in all matchups, including his Wednesday performance — a three-run home run into the stands, as well as him “turning the burners on” for a stolen base. Alvarado proved that his fastball was too much to handle, securing a save with two strikeouts in the series opener.
Some starting pitching and bullpen woes to consider
All of the exciting Phillies offense was not enough to allow fans to completely ignore the team’s pitching woes, which were mostly seen in the first two games of the Mets series. Still, as a collective unit, the overall pitching staff is much better than it was in 2020.
Despite the exciting comeback win against the Mets on Monday, the Phillies were in trouble behind Matt Moore’s disappointing start. He finished the game with a 5.40 ERA, struggling to grasp command on his pitches. Through 3 1/3 innings, Moore allowed four hits, a pair of runs, and four walks, while striking out four of his 18 batters faced.
Even though Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, and Zach Eflin had great outings against the Braves, the Phillies could still benefit from looking into adding another starting pitcher at some point. It will matter more down the line against tougher competition.
Vince Velasquez also made the case that the Phillies need to further improve the bullpen. In the 8-4 loss on Tuesday, the right-hander blew any chance the team had at coming back — and he was very aware of it. As nice as it is to see him take accountability for his bad performance, the front office needs to take Velasquez’s inability to improve seriously and cut ties with him. The Phillies need to grow and keeping him around would only hold them back and lessen their chance to win games.
Even though the Phillies have tasted more victory than defeat, their recent series against the Mets uncovered roster spots that still need some work.