Since the Phillies started the season 9-19, forcing the firing of manager Rob Thomson for grizzled interim Don Mattingly, the tides have turned in the standings with Philadelphia now holding an NL Wild Card playoff spot.
But even with the vast improvements over the last month and a half, the Brewers exposed an issue that could plague Philadelphia come October. Because once playoffs begin, the competition gets stiffer and stiffer, as teams trot out their aces and a rigid bullpen plan. The Phillies are well aware of that, with Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesús Luzardo anchoring their own starting staff.
In Friday's series opener on the road in Milwaukee against a powerhouse Brewers squad, the Phillies were greeted by a Cy Young favorite in right-handed pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. He didn't throw a no-hitter, but it sure felt like it. He instead settled for a Maddux, tossing a complete game shutout in fewer than 100 pitches thrown. The Miz made the Phils look silly, striking them out 15 times and inducing 25 swing-and-miss strikes in the 6-0 victory. The top of the order — Schwarber, Turner, Harper and Marsh — were neutralized, going 1-for-12 overall with 7 total strikeouts.
It wasn't a fun night for Philadelphia. While there's no shame in having an off day against one of the best pitchers in the majors, managing just one baserunner in nine innings is never a good sign and certainly doesn't come at a good time following the injury news surrounding outfielder Adolis Garcia.
The Phillies fared much better against bullpen arm-turned-starting pitcher Shane Drohan on Saturday, tallying eight hits and four runs in five innings against the Brewers' second starter of the series. But Philadelphia would be met with a test in Sunday's game, facing rejuvenated lefty Kyle Harrison, who has reaped the benefits of a change in scenery this season.
Harrison would end up out-dueling Sanchez, who failed to reach six innings for the first time in almost two months. While Sanchez allowed four runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings of work, Harrison was dominant in comparison, cruising to six shutout innings and three hits allowed. It's no secret that left-handed pitching has been a weakness for the Phillies. This year, they currently own a .220 batting average against southpaws, ranking them at No. 23 in all of MLB. The Phillies wound up getting shutout for the second time during the weekend, as they could only pile up four hits in the 4-0 loss.
Lack of trust remains for the Phillies' bats against top-end talents on the mound
The most concerning stat from last weekend? In the losses on Friday and Sunday, the Phillies went 5-for-58 with no extra-base hits and 21 strikeouts. Fans would have loved to see an improved Phillies squad fare better against an National League contender's two best pitchers, but that was not the case against the Brewers.
The Phillies are continuing to provide reasons why some fans are hesitant to make watching them a priority during the regular season
— Nick Piccone (@_piccone) June 15, 2026
The offense suffering two shutouts in three games isn’t making anyone feel better https://t.co/tsWwrMYblh
When you look around the National League, team boast elite pitching talent. Aside from the Brewers, the Dodgers have a clear masterclass of a rotation, highlighted by Yoshinobu Yamamato and Shohei Ohtani (with Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell also in the wings when they return from the injured list). The Braves' rotation features veteran ace Chris Sale and should have a healthy Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider before the postseason begins. If the Phillies are unable to figure out two of the most proficient pitchers in the NL this season (who happen to reside on the same team), what is to say they won't run into the same problem against another opponent with multiple frontline arms?
While the opposing pitching should be much less daunting against a middling Miami Marlins team to begin this week's homestand at Citizens Bank Park, it's hard not to be peeved by the Phillies' performance at the plate in their two shutout losses last weekend.
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