Phillies Win Series in Boston: From 10 Under to Striking Distance!

The Phils take 2 of 3 from the Red Sox! From 10 under to just 2 games under .500, the surge is real. Plus, post-game audio from Mattingly, Duran, and Schwarber on facing former teammate Ranger Suarez! #RingTheBell #PhiladelphiaPhillies #MLBonX

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:29

What's going on, folks? Welcome back into another episode of the Six Ten Podcast. I'm your host, Jay Hollihan, where we're back here on this Thursday evening breaking down the Phillies, taking two out of three from the Boston Red Sox in Beantown, as the Phillies have now won five straight series on the season. In the Don Mattingley era, the Phillies have won all five of their series. Now, was it against some of the most prolific competition? Not really. Was it against teams that, though you should beat in a three-game series with what they have shown you up to that point? Sure. I mean, I think the the best series win thus far, because of the fact that they are still above 500, would be the Athletics. I mean, I think that's the best series win so far throughout the season. As the Phillies only other only two other series wins were against the Nationals and the Rockies when Rob Thompson was still at the helm. But in the Don Mattingley era, they're five and oh and take two out of three from a Boston Red Sox team that, you know, let's face it, right now, they have a plethora of problems. One of the biggest is that they just cannot stay healthy. As you saw, that lineup of the Red Sox, I mean, that is not one that is going to scare anyone. Now, on the flip side, it's not like the Phillies were necessarily crushing the baseball. So I don't know if it's a little depressing that you couldn't put up some runs against this Red Sox team. Uh, we'll get into that in a moment, but you know, at the end of the day, you got the job done. And if they had swept them and they won two to one on Wednesday night and they were back at 500, you wouldn't care because they won the game. And do you eventually want to see them put up some runs? Yes. I mean, they put up runs over the weekends against the Rockies, uh albeit that is the Colorado Rockies pitching. Uh they put up some runs against the athletics. Again, not that anyone on the athletics necessarily scares you, but there are some solid starting pitchers there. The Boston Red Sox, though, they were just as off balance as the Phillies were throughout the series. They did not, and like I said, their lineup is not that prolific. But the Phillies starting pitching, which really the anchor of the pitching staff, now Christopher Sanchez, set the tone on Sunday with the start against the Rockies that he had, where he went seven strong innings in that win. And then with the day off Monday, a fully arrested bullpen, that Tuesday, this past Tuesday, Zach Wheeler goes out and gave you a Greg Maddox-esque outing in which a pitcher goes a complete game with under a hundred pitches. We've seen it in the past from Rangers Jores, but it's obviously a very rare feat. But Zach Wheeler, I believe, only had like sixteen pitches at the end of the first three innings, which was just dominating stuff. But his stuff wasn't dominant. And Zach Wheeler's stuff is usually very dominant. We're used to seeing him strike out eight, nine, ten, sometimes more hitters. We're used to seeing him limit the opposition to sometimes one or no runs. On Tuesday night, he limited them to just one run, and that one run came in the bottom of the seventh as Wheeler tossed a gem of seven and a third, giving up six hits, unearned run, striking out just four and no free passes. One of the most, I think, telling signs of a truly great pitcher is if no matter if they have their stuff that night, or if they don't, they are still able to get hitters out, and Wheeler was able to do that. Now, sometimes it's well their stuff is still that dominant, or still that, you know, because maybe they have an arsenal of pitches, they are still able to get out so many different guys. But for Zach Wheeler, his arsenal wasn't that great. But he was still able to induce weak contact. That is something that you do not take for granted. And listen, he had to go out there and inning after inning continue to flash up zeros. I mean, Kyle Schwarber got you started with the 17th home of the year, then Bryson Stott belted a ground rule double into right, that played Brandon Marsh. But other than that, the Phillies had to figure it out, and Zach Wheeler did just that. Now Rafaela would hit an RBI single on a 2-1 sinker that kind of blooped in into right field, and then Wheeler would get out of the inning limiting that damage. He'd give way to Jose Alvarado in the eighth, and then it was Johan Duran's turn, and he picked up his sixth save of the season uh in what got Yeah, a little nerve-wracking in the ninth, but in the end, the Phillies prevailed. And you're sitting there saying to yourself, man, they're 20-22. They win tomorrow, and the Andrew Painter start going up against an opener for the Red Sox. The offense comes and does its thing against Bello, and the Phillies for sure, or I'm sorry, not Bellow, uh Sonny Gray, rather. Bellow was the day before, and they only could muster two runs, uh, which was shocking. But against Sonny Gray, a pitcher that they have had recent success on, you know, the thought processes, well then the Phillies are going to be able to have an opportunity in the Jesus Lazardo vs. Ranger Suarez matchup to get back to 500. Well, unfortunately, Andrew Payner would hold up his end of the bargain, but the offense wouldn't. And that's the way I would describe it. Payner did a solid job. You know, they they got some hits off him, and they squared up a couple good balls, but he only gave up a run off the Trevor Story Homer. Had four strikeouts. I'd like to have seen that up there a little bit more in sixty off sixty-two pitches, though, he only goes five innings. They'd bring in Tanner Banks, then they'd bring in Orion Kirking after Banks gave up a hit in the sixth inning, which was you know, albeit William Abreu, whom had just swung at a ball that hit him. I mean, fastball 0-2 that's just right there in the middle of the I mean, it is literally saying hit me at 91 miles per hour. And then you bring in Orion Kirkering, and he strikes out Wilson Contreras, then he gives up a two-run blast to Rafaela on a 1-2 pitch that was a fastball that they were like, why didn't you go to the sweeper again? JT calls fastball. Looked like he wanted it up higher than where obviously than where Kirking put it, which was just right there on a T for Rafaela. Here was Don Mattingley after the game on the decision to take Andrew Painter out and the sixth inning decision.

SPEAKER_01 8:52

Yeah, it was really kind of uh we wanted to be proactive tonight with him. We knew from the kind of beginning of the game that third time through was gonna be a spot we were gonna try to stay away from. Get him going, get some confidence obviously well tonight. Got his command back. Uh big walked anybody happy with him. No one's gonna need him. We do left hand at the top there. We get Kirk in the game at the right spot too. Uh I felt like just kind of missed a spot trying to go up look like above the zone there. I think Raphael chased last night up there, they by taking a shot up there and just left it in zone.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

Well, if we're all going to blame, have put blame on Rob Thompson in the past for the bullpen usage and for not leaving starters in longer, you have to put blame on Don Mattingley for that. And I'm gonna tell you this right now. For the amount of people that would question Thompson's decision making, was it Thompson's decision to make? Because as you're if Don Mattingley is supposed to be this throwback baseball guy, then doesn't it kind of wouldn't conventional baseball wisdom say screw the pitch count on the starting pitcher and let him face the third time through the order? Wouldn't it also say, you know, I don't really trust Orion Kirkering to come in in the middle of an inning. Let me stick with Tanner Banks. Now, conventional baseball winning w wisdom would also tell you, well, you're facing uh two righties in Contreras and Rafaela back to back. But, you know, w which actually they made the pitching change before Rafaela my uh Banks got the strikeout on Contreras. They bring in Kerkering, uh, who gives up the the home run to Rafaela. Wouldn't that have told you, hey, Banks got us through there, let's let's let him finish it. You know, Kirkering doesn't have the best numbers with inherited runners. I don't trust him with inherited runners, and instead they go with him. Uh, it certainly I mean, let's face it, if you're gonna put the blame on one, you gotta put the blame on the other. And then you also have to realize this might not be his decision. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But it begins to creep into your mind, right? Now, tonight, after you lose three to one, I mean, uh is there any reason to be confident that going up against former pitcher Ranger Suarez and with what Jesus Lazardo has shown you this far, which is a sh uh, you know, a streaky streaky starter, you know, do you really think that he is going to come through and give you a solid start and that the Phillies are gonna get you a win? I, for one, did not did not foresee tonight going, as it did, and it went in the Phillies' favor as they were able to pick up the series win and take two out of three. Ranger Suarez was out dueled by Jesus Lazardo, who went six innings, giving up no runs on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Now Suarez went five and a third, giving up no runs on four hits, eight K's and a walk. So, you know, Rangers Ranger was not able to complete the sixth inning, which is why I said Lazardo was able to outduel him because he outlasted him. Although that's more so, you know, at the discretion of whomever. But Jesus Lazardo was able to be as good as Ranger Suarez. And the defense behind him was fantastic. Now, Trey Turner did not have a great night at the plate. He was one for five with two punch outs. But he had a terrific terrific snag with a runner at third, one out in the bottom of the sixth. A really, after Monasterio doubles, and then Weiler Abreu moves him to third, you're thinking, well, this is going to be a one-nothing game for sure. Lefty Righty Contreras, and then Rafaela, who just did damage against you the night before. But Trey Turner makes a fantastic diving play, and then Rafaela grounds out right to him, um, and you're out of the inning. And fortunately for Jesus Zardo, you get out of it unscathed, and for the Phillies, who unfortunately don't do anything in the top of the seventh, you get to Brad Keller, whom we all know it can be kind of a ride, and and Durbin was able to double off him, but he was able to get Mayer to strike out, and you get to the top of the eighth. There's that single by Turner, and Kyle Schwaber belts his eighteenth homer of the year, making all of Fenway wondering why the heck they didn't re-sign him many years ago, and and why the heck uh they didn't sign him in the offseason. Now, the Phillies would continue in that top of the eighth to get traffic on. They would load the bases after J.T. Romuto was hit by a pitch, and then Bryson Stott, originally called out, hits an RBI single, an infield RBI single that makes it three to nothing. And Jose Alvarado, Monestario, who has his second double of the night, and then Wyler Abreu singles, and it's runners, you know, or an RBI single rather, and runner at first. Um he gets Contreras to pop out to Harper in foul territory, then he hits Rafaela, and then fortunately Trevor Story strikes out um on a 2-2 cutter that uh he swung uh under, and fortunately Alvarado got out of that. One, two, three in the top of the ninth. Then it was Johan Duran who gets Mickey Gasper in his stupid mustache uh looking, walks Yoshida, then Mayer strikes out, and Jaron Duran strikes out. So a fantastic night out of Johan Duran, and let's begin there as Tom McCarthy interviewed him after the game asking what his health is, you know, at right now after being on the 15-day I.

SPEAKER_02 16:08

Yeah, a little bit, you know.

SPEAKER_05 16:11

Do you feel good though? Do you feel good because it's coming back?

SPEAKER_02 16:13

Yeah, I feel great. You know, I feel fantastic. I feel more better. The what I feel when the season started, you know. So I feel great right now.

SPEAKER_05 16:22

I like the fact that you were at a 101 the other day with your fastball. That's that showed us that you were healthy.

SPEAKER_02 16:26

Yeah, yeah, 100%. That comes back soon, I think.

SPEAKER_00 16:30

So that's good. So Johan Duran, who, as we know, has some of the most electric stuff out of any reliever in the majors. I mean, the guy has a wicked fastball, as Tom McCarthy alluded to, that can hit to around, you know, 103. Comes in with that sweeper as well, throws a knuckle curveball, I mean, a splitter. He's got a variety of pitches and a variety of ways to attack you. He is a tremendous closer and one that the Phillies, you know, a tremendous talented closer, you know. I think maybe saying tremendous closer might be a little too um facetious of me, if you will, but still, he is a very because, you know, saying he's a tremendous closer obviously would lead one to believe, okay, he's gone and uh performed on the biggest stages, and as we know, he hasn't been able to go, you know, into the postseason and you know, with his years in Minnesota, and last year didn't necessarily present the opportunity, but he has tremendous stuff, let me put it that way, and can become a tremendous closer and is really a fine talent that we wish we would have had here a couple years ago. Now, with the injuries this season, it seems like it's taking a little bit of time to kind of click in place. I mean, don't look at his ERA and save numbers when I say that, but like it just feels like he hasn't been maybe as dominant as times as they'd like him to be, and hopefully, you know, tonight's outing gets him back there. But it was also a weird night, let's put it that way, as the Phillies faced, of course, their former starting pitcher, Ranger Suarez, and here is Kyle Schwarber afterwards.

SPEAKER_03 18:22

Yeah, I mean, he's uh he's a unique guy where he's got so many different weapons in the Arsenal. You know, I think he has a really good idea of what he wants to do to you uh, you know, every single hitter. Uh, you know, obviously we know that the the sinker changeup's a big pitch for him, but you know, the cutters underrated the 14 curveball. He plays a lot of different things off uh each differ every single different pitch, and he's competitive with a lot of pitches. Um, I think that's why he's always going to be a guy that it doesn't matter how hard you throw, uh he's always gonna find a way to get big contact and outs.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

It was always fun to watch Ranger Suarez pitch. I mean, every timeout was like, you know, watching a younger, maybe more exciting version of Jamie Moyer and just the way that he could manipulate hitters and the intelligence that Ranger had and the cool and calm that Ranger possessed, and obviously, you know, the fact that they would didn't bring him back in the offseason made a lot of people upset, but you know, you knew why, and that was because of Jesus Lozardo and the confidence they have in Jesus Lozardo. Now, he hasn't been terrific this year. We know that. And uh, with the extension they gave him in the offseason, it certainly made a lot of people wonder well, uh, what were you what were you thinking here when you chose him over Ranger? But tonight, he puts together one of those starts that kind of reminds you, you know, the kind of ability he does have, but he's got to be consistent. You know, nothing if not consistent. He's got a 507 ERA. Uh there's no doubt about it, his numbers need to be better. He is only, you know, 3-3 this season. Sure, he's got 61 strikeouts, but when your ERA is as high as it is, when your whip's at a 1.33, uh that just it just can't happen. I mean, that's the only way I can I can put it for you. That just cannot happen uh one way in one way, shape, or form. I mean, you have to be better and perform. He's given up five home runs thus far. Um he's given up twenty-eight earned runs, fifty-three hits, uh, he's walked 13 batters. I get the strikeout numbers, you know, you're at 61, great, but you know, they need the Phillies certainly need more from him, and they need to get more from him as this year continues. And he's got to show show that, you know what, they made the right decision in choosing me over Ranger because that's ultimately what we're all gonna look back on this as. A decision of Jesus Lazardo or Ranger Suarez. It really is. Now, for the Pittsburgh series coming up against the Pirates, the Phillies will be taking on a Pittsburgh team that for the first time in a long time in like oh nine, ten years maybe, you say, Man, it's a pretty good pirates team they got going on over there. I know they've had some flashes throughout the years and some s showings of maybe this could be a team that you know could be a competitive team, especially down the stretch. But this year feels a bit different. Now they sit fourth in the NL Central, but they're twenty four and twenty. I mean, I think I speak for everyone when I say we would gladly trade. places with the Pirates in their record. Right now, you wouldn't be nine games out of first place in the NL East. And the pitching, starting pitching matchup is interesting, so let's get right into it. Brandon Ashcraft will start tomorrow for Pittsburgh. He's two and two with a 277 ERA. He's pitched out of the bullpen in the past. Last year was his first year up in the majors. In his lone appearance versus the Phillies, he won inning in a third, giving up no runs on a hit. He has this year gone seven innings three times. So it's curious to it it really is interesting. They built built him up out of the pen last year or got him experience rather out of the pen. And now they have really honed him in as a starting pick pitcher. Uh I Braxton Ashcraft did I say Brandon Braxton Ashcraft. Um and he's someone that Pittsburgh you know drafted in the second round and back in twenty eighteen. He's at the age of twenty six drafted out of high school so you know it was a long road to get to where he's at but he's here now and he's he's looking pretty good. That that inning in a third I mentioned earlier that was also his first career win. So that was the result of that game. Aaronola will take the mound. Nola is two and three with a 5-1-4 ERA. Now he in his last two starts has given the Phillies a chance and they need him to be more like what they had in his prior start against the Marlins. That's the kind of Aaronola they need to see tomorrow night. Last time he pitched versus the Pirates was in 2024 where he gave up four runs on six hits and five innings with four strikeouts and two walks. You do not want to see that and listen for Aranola so this entire time through the starting rotation Christopher Sanchez gives up no runs against the Rockies on Sunday. Zach Wheeler gives up one run versus the Red Sox in seven and a third innings. Andrew Painter gives up one run against the Sox Jesus Sozardo gives up no runs. You see the point that I'm going with here last four starts out of your starters have given up a combined two runs. Do you really want to be the asshole that gives up that has the bad outing? I mean you know even if he gives up two runs he gives the Phillies a chance and we're not sitting here being upset with Aaron Ola. We'll be more upset with the Phillies offense which needs to break out after uh hey you took two out of three against the Red Sox but it's not going to be that easy against Pittsburgh. Game two is going to feature Bubba Chandler who's one and four with a four six two ERA is a former third round pick. He's never faced the Phillies this year he's gone about five innings each start. Now with the fact that he hasn't faced the Phillies yet it's more like well the Phillies have never faced him he might go seventh scoreless. And you talk about you know Pittsburgh and I mentioned about how the you need to get the offense going well Pittsburgh currently has two hitters with ten or more homers O'Neill Cruz and Brandon Lowe. Ryan O'Hearn can bring the Thunder to there's of course Marcelo Zuna sitting there the young Connor Griffin who is not someone that you know you take lightly. Nick Gonzalez uh is their leading um batting average leading player in batting average hitting 315 in 14 at bats he doesn't have a homer that's a little throwback there but uh hitting 315 on the season. But naturally you know this is a Phillies team that and as teams tend to they go through streaks. But with the Phillies their hitting streaks are always pretty I mean it it's kind of commonplace to see and it's always very obvious when it's happening and right now they are kind of in a bit of a tailspin in their last three games. They gotta get out of that tailspin. You know having just three runners in scoring position Wednesday night against the Red Sox um and two of those runners in scoring position came in the final three outs in the ninth you got to do more if you're the Philz. And they need to get it going here against Pittsburgh. Now Christopher Sanchez will start on Saturday who's 4-2 with the 211 ERA this year he's 0-3 with a 1.75 ERA lifetime against the Pirates in three starts on the road in Pittsburgh he's 0-2 with the 204 ERA 0-3 with a 175 ERA that just lets you know you guys got a hit for the poor man. And then game three is going to feature a game that's you know the crafty veteran against the young gun Paul Skeens for the Pirates Zach Wheeler for the Phillies. Skeens 6-2 with a 198 ERA Owen won with an 057 ERA versus the Phillies in two starts last year. Owen won 057 ERA That's ridiculous. Zach Wheeler who's 2-0 this year with a 255 ERA you know he's going to be up for this one 1-1 with a 3-2-7 ERA versus the Pirates since 2024 he's 3-0 lifetime with a 2-1-0 ERA versus the Pirates on the road so this should be a really intriguing matchup the starting pitching preview uh we're gonna tip the scales I mean the fact that they are throwing a couple of young guys at the Phillies and then also Paul Skeens it kind of tips the favor it has to tip the favor into Pittsburgh with context with how bad the Phillies are against young pitchers and guys they haven't seen before. And with the way they're in this kind of tailspin it just I'm not typically all that confident in us anyways I'd be a little bit more confident if they didn't just kind of you know ho-hum their way through Boston in terms of their offensive production. And you look at Pittsburgh I mean their offensive production hasn't been great recently they've been up and down and I mean they were off to you know they've they've had a so far a consistent season you're above 500 you're above 500 for a reason but they had a five game losing streak where they lost to the Brew in their last game with a chance to sweep then they went 0-4 against the Cardinals in late April they come out of that they sweep the Reds and they take 2 3 from the Diamondbacks and they lose 2 3 to the Giants who are you know you kind of would think even though you are on the road in San Francisco and we know how tough that is a place to play you would have figured Pittsburgh would have at least taken two out of three and then they take two or three from Colorado but you know they don't do it in an unbelievable fashion. I mean they kinda you know they they lost a 10-4 game on Wednesday against the Rockies and then today they beat them seven to two and they won Tuesday three to one with Skeens on the mound but I don't know it doesn't leave me feeling too confident in either side however you know if we're talking about the starting pitching I think it tips in Pittsburgh's favor but if the Phillies can just outlast the Pirate starters then I have my faith that the Phillies will be able to take two of three and hey if you take two out of three you are a game back from being 500 and that is the name of the game right now. It's not so much about wanting to be able to you know put up all these runs and it's not so much about well we we need to score you know minimum ten runs a game hopefully you're at a point where you can really be concerned about that stuff but right now you you know Al Davis just win baby that's what the Phillies need to do. Get back to 500 because we're not even we're not I mean it's so early in the year to standings watch but you know we're not even talking about the NLE's because of how far off the the Braves are from them. The Phillies are just trying to get back into the wild card right now and they're four and a half games out there in striking distance but you know you want to get to that point of you know really being in consideration. So thanks everyone for tuning into this episode we're going to be back on here shortly we'll have some I mean we're gonna have flyer stuff we're gonna have Sixers stuff we're gonna have Eagle stuff we're gonna have some Penn State football coming up as well so stick around for that thanks for tuning in and we'll talk to you next time.