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Tag: Jhoan Duran

  • Rob Thomson Set to Return as Phillies Manager in 2026 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

    The Phillies announced on Monday that Manager Rob Thomson will be returning for the 2026 season.

    Thomson will be entering the final year of his contract, making 2026 a true make-or-break season for both Thomson and the Phillies.

    Philadelphia Heartbreak

    It’s been five days since the Phillies lost Game 4 of the NLDS in the most heartbreaking fashion you could imagine. The first series in MLB history to end on an error. Of course, it would happen to the Phillies.

    It took me all day Friday to go through the stages of grief following the loss. I was not angry at Kerkering for a miscue throw to—the. In fact, I completely understand the mental state when you first bobble a ball. Even if you knew where you were supposed to go with the ball, the second you bobble it, panic sets in, and that’s exactly what happened. I know Kerkering can be a good reliever, and I hope he bounces back next year with us.

    Different Year, Same Result

    While my sympathy was with Kerkering, my anger was directed towards Rob Thomson, the entire lineup aside from JT Realmuto, Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos. The big three of Turner, Schwarber, and Harper went 1-14 in the Game 4 elimination game. The third season in a row, the big guns disappeared when it mattered most. That part of it is on the players, and while Rob Thomson makes the lineup, he can’t control what pitches these guys are swinging at.

    Rob Thomson controls the bullpen and who comes in certain situations. This is part of his job; Rob Thomson has been horrible at it in the postseason. In 2023, he brought Craig Kimbrel in against the Arizona Diamondbacks, which eventually led to the Phillies blowing the lead and the series. Since that series, Rob Thomson has poorly managed the bullpen when it matters the most. It’s led to the Phillies blowing leads in multiple playoff games over the last few years, including in this year’s series. Going to Kerkering with runners on was a terrible idea from the start. 8/13 inherited runners have scored on Kerkering since August. Having him in the game in that moment was a terrible decision by Rob Thomson. Even leading up to that, one might question why we walked Ohtani in the 7th inning to load the bases? Duran would walk in a run, tying the game 1-1 after Mookie Betts worked a walk. Thomson made a few questionable decisions, but it’s not solely on him to blame.

    What Went Wrong?

    Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

    I touched on the lack of production from Turner, Schwarber, and Harper before, but it’s important to know how flat-out bad these three were in this series. Aside from the Game 3 outburst, these three underperformed when the lights were the brightest. While I still want the Phillies to re-sign Kyle Schwarber, you have to wonder if he decreased his price tag following his poor October showing. Harper and Turner need to figure out a way to make their $300 million price tags worth it come October. Harper had an incredible postseason in 2023 and 2024, but his last two postseason showings have been lackluster. You aren’t gonna win many baseball games when the highest-paid players don’t show up.

    Harrison Bader was injured with a groin injury, which also hurt the Phillies in terms of their lineup. Bader was such a spark for this team down the stretch, and his absence should not go unnoticed. I’m hoping the Phillies could bring him back, but the question is for how much and where he would play. If Bader did play his last game in a Phillies uniform, he was an incredible addition to this team, and it’s a shame he got injured when he did.

    I tip my cap to Alec Bohm and JT Realmuto, who had really strong showings at the plate in the division series. I would love to have JT back behind the plate next year, as he is set to hit free agency. If JT walks, I expect the Phillies to possibly pursue a trade with the Baltimore Orioles for catcher Adley Rutschman. Rutschman would be a nice replacement for the Phillies if Realmuto isn’t on the team next year. With that being said, I do hope JT works out a deal and hopefully ends his career as a Phillie.

    Pitching Excellence

    The starting pitching once again showed up when it mattered most, despite not having Zack Wheeler. Christopher Sanchez pitched two great games and further solidified himself as a true ace during this series. Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez all pitched great throughout the series as well. The starting pitching was dominant all year, and they performed well above expectations in this series.

    Ranger Suarez is the only starting arm that is a free agent this upcoming winter. The big question is, do you pay Ranger Suarez knowing you have a replacement in Andrew Painter coming up? Suarez has been one of the best lefties in the game over the last two years, so although it would hurt to lose him, the Phillies might not be able to afford to keep him. It’s going to be very interesting to see where Suarez lands this upcoming offseason.

    Season Conclusion

    That’s officially a wrap on the Phillies’ 2025 season, as well as my first season covering the team. It was a pleasure to bring you weekly storylines and my thoughts on this ball club throughout the year. The season ended like no one could have expected, with a game-losing error. One of the main things I love about baseball is that you can shake off whatever happened in the game before and get right back at it within a day or two. But in this scenario, having to sit with this feeling all offseason is certainly going to sting.

    While some fans (including myself) are still angry with this team and the result, I can already feel the excitement and optimism of opening day 2026 when the Texas Rangers come to town. Only 163 days until The Bank is packed for Opening Day on March 26, 2026!

    One Last Weekly Prediction: The Seattle Mariners are going to be your 2025 World Series Champions.

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    Matt Saglembeni

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  • Phillies Offense Disappears, Rob Thomson Strikes Again – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Phillies had the entire city riled up and ready for another deep postseason run after finishing 96-66 and getting a first-round bye. Everyone knew the Dodgers wouldn’t be easy, but when your top three guys refuse to show up when it matters most and your manager continues to make terrible decisions, you won’t often find yourself in a winning situation.

    To be very blunt, the 2025 Philadelphia Phillies are who we thought they were.

    Same Results, Different Year

    The Phillies are down 0-2 and would need to win three games in a row against the Dodgers, with the next two games in Los Angeles. I’m not gonna sit here and feed optimism when this team has given nothing for us to be optimistic about.

    The Phillies are 1-7 in their last eight playoff games. They refuse to work any ABs, and when they do, they end up swinging at what would be ball four most of the time. Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper have disappeared. Those three in this series are 1-21. I’m gonna say that again. The top three hitters in this lineup are 1-21. I don’t care if you’re playing the Colorado Rockies, you aren’t gonna win games with the top three guys on your team going 1-21 at home in a series. The middle and bottom parts of the order haven’t been any better. This team couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat right now.

    No one in the order has stepped up and tried to provide a spark. Nick Castellanos had a two-run double in the 9th inning of game two that barely got me excited because I just knew the Phillies were gonna find a way to ruin the situation.

    Rob Thomson Strikes Again

    Following the double from Castellanos, Bryson Stott then bunted with 0 outs, runner at second, which resulted in Castellanos being thrown out at third. I nearly turned the game off. Bunting in that situation comes from the manager, and boy oh boy would I love to know Rob’s thought process behind this one.

    You are handcuffed because, with Bader dealing with a groin injury, you had to save a pitch runner for Bader. You can’t run for Castellanos, but Castellanos doesn’t run well, so what do you do? HAVE STOTT SWING THE BAT. THIS IS BASEBALL!

    I understand the concept of moving the runner over, but once again, Thomson’s lack of baseball feel strikes again. The crowd was finally into it, the tying run is at second with 0 outs, and you bunt into an out at third and kill any rally you had. Just to top it off, Bader would single in the next AB that would’ve likely scored Castellanos. Can’t make this stuff up.

    This 9th-inning debacle by Rob Thomson wasn’t even his worst moment of the night. Thomson decided to go with Orion Kerkering out of the bullpen first when Jesus Luzardo ran into trouble in the 7th. Luzardo pitched a gem in this game and is the only Phillie worth noting from last night. Luzardo had runners on second and third when Thomson pulled him and put in Kerkering.

    Let me remind you, Kerkering has been terrible inheriting runner all season. One look at a stat sheet and anyone who works in baseball would be able to tell you that. Everyone but Rob Thoms, apparently. He puts in Kerkering, who immediately gives up two runs after nearly getting an out at home. The Dodgers would add on, giving themselves a 4-0 lead in the 7th. Since August, Kerkering has let 8/13 inherited runners score when he comes out of the bullpen. That is not good. Going to Kerkering in that situation is a terrible decision, knowing he’s not good with runners on base. I would’ve much rather seen Strahm in that situation, who was up and warm.

    If the Phillies go to LA and lose game three, getting swept in this fashion is more than enough of a reason for the organization to have a long conversation this offseason about the players and staff on this ball club. The team has gotten better every year since 2022, and yet the results are worse and worse. At this point, players and coaches need to be held accountable.

    Heading to LA

    The Phillies will travel to Los Angeles today and play game three of the series Wednesday night at 9:08. The Dodgers will start Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA, 201 Ks), and the Phillies will start Aaron Nola (5-10, 6.01ERA, 97 Ks). As you can tell, the pitching matchup heavily leans in the Dodgers’ favor. Maybe the struggling offense will get going since they are away from home.

    The Phillies will be playing for their season Wednesday night and avoid getting swept 3-0 in embarrassing fashion.

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    Matt Saglembeni

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  • Phillies Postseason Expectations and Predictions – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    After a grueling 162-game season, the Philadelphia Phillies finished their season with a record of 96-66, good enough for the second-best record in all of Major League Baseball. They won the NL East with a 13-game lead over the New York Mets, a team that won’t be playing into October after a historic second-half collapse. The Phillies have the luxury of a first-round bye and will open the NLDS at home on October 4th against either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Cincinnati Reds. The best time of year is here; nothing beats October baseball.

    Playoff Expectations

    Win the whole thing.

    The end.

    All jokes aside, this team is more than capable of delivering a World Series title to Philadelphia. The loss of Zach Wheeler is massive, and not having him throughout this postseason run will sting. However, I trust Christopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, Jesus Luzardo, and even Aaron Nola enough to hopefully get us deep into the postseason.

    Looking at the pitching first, I would say this is the best overall staff the Phillies have had in recent years. Not only are the starters great, but the bullpen, with guys like Tanner Banks, Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm, and Jhoan Duran, rounds out one of the best staffs in the postseason. The last few seasons, the Phillies have lacked solid bullpen arms, and this year is the complete opposite. I feel comfortable knowing Duran is pitching in the 9th if we have a 1-2 run lead late.

    As for the offense, that will be the biggest question mark. Last postseason, the bats disappeared. This year, that simply can’t happen. This team is way too talented offensively to go through a slump this time of year. Led by Kyle Schwarber, this Phillies offense should be able to put up runs. The Phillies’ ability to weather the storm with starting pitching to get into the opponent’s bullpen will be interesting to see. They chased too much out of the zone last year, and it eliminated easy walks and ways to get guys on base. If this lineup can stay consistent and play within itself, the team can put up 5-7 runs per game in the postseason.

    Getting Trea Turner will be massive for the top of the order, especially since with Bader moving back down, it will make the lineup longer in terms of depth. Harrison Bader has been the best trade deadline acquisition Dave Dombrowski has made in recent years. His play in CF will be an integral part of a potential Phillies World Series run. The Phillies have lacked a true centerfielder over the last few playoff runs, so hopefully, Bader will be another spark for this team.

    Postseason Predictions

    Right now, I can see the Dodgers beating the Reds easily in the Wild Card round to set up a NLDS matchup with the Phillies. While the Phillies will have home-field advantage, it’s a best-of-5 series for the NLDS. Truthfully, if the Phillies play their brand of baseball, I could see the Phillies taking the series 3-2

    Next, they would face the Brewers in the NLCS, who I’m predicting will go on to beat the Padres in the NLDS 3-1. A Milwaukee Brewers vs Philadelphia Phillies NLCS with the Phillies winning 4-2 in 6 games.

    I do believe this team is good enough to make a run through the National League and win the Pennant this year. The way the Phillies played in the second half makes me highly optimistic that this team will be able to make it to the World Series.

    As for who they will play, my two guesses are the New York Yankees or the Seattle Mariners, which I know could be a shock to some people. I think the Mariners have the offense and the pitching staff that could help spark a run for them. It would be exciting to see Seattle playing in a World Series. If the Yankees end up making it, then it’s time for us to get our revenge for what happened in 2009.

    My overall prediction is the Phillies win the World Series in 6 games, and we’ll have our second championship parade of the year on Broad Street in November!!

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    Matt Saglembeni

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  • Phillies Enter the Final Week of the Regular Season – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Last week, the Phillies clinched the NL East title, guaranteeing another year of Red October and the opportunity to play for a World Series. While winning the NL East is nice, getting a first-round bye would be amazing for a team that’s been banged up down the stretch. With six games remaining in the regular season, the Phillies look forward to closing out the season and then preparing for what is hopefully a memorable Red October run.

    Six Games Remain

    The Phillies return home this week with an off day on Monday, so they have time to settle in after the West Coast road trip. While on the road trip, the Phillies took 2/3 from the Los Angeles Dodgers, including the NL East clinching win Monday night. After the emotional series win over the Dodgers, the Phillies would lose 2/3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team fighting for that last spot in the NL Wild Card race.

    I’m not putting much stock into the series loss to the Diamondbacks because they did take the series from the Dodgers. By Sunday, I could imagine the team just wanting to return home.

    The Phillies have six games remaining in the season, all of which are at home. In fact, the Phillies have an opportunity to play at home until game 3 of the NLDS, which would be Wednesday, October 8th. That leaves 17 days in between road games for the Phillies. Something I think will help this team a lot. The Phillies have a three-game series against the Miami Marlins (76-80) and the Minnesota Twins (67-89). It’s kind of poetic that the Phillies are ending their season against the team that traded them their two most important deadline acquisitions. Harrison Bader and Jhoan Duran have been amazing for the Phillies and have certainly performed above expectations. Those six games are very winnable, but the Phillies are still three games back of the Brewers for the one seed, so they would need a miracle to secure that top seed.

    Playoff Positioning

    The Phillies will most likely finish with the two seed in the National League, which is good for the sake of the first-round bye. While some are scared about the time off during Wild Card games, this team needs to get healthy and also give the pitching staff a much-deserved rest. Trea Turner is expected to return for the last series of the season, and Alec Bohm made his return against the Diamondbacks. Bohm homered in his second game back and made his impact felt immediately. Having Bohm back in this lineup is huge, especially with runners on base. Getting Trea Turner back will be another massive boost for the offense, in hopes that he returns to the player he’s been all year. Turner was hitting .305 when he was placed on the IL a few weeks ago.

    While the top three seeds are all solidified, with the Brewers, Phillies, and Dodgers, the other three spots could all be shuffled come next week. The Chicago Cubs are 88-68 and hold the top Wild Card spot, followed by the 85-71 San Diego Padres. Those two spots are very likely to remain the Cubs and Padres. That last spot, however, is completely up for grabs. Yes, that means the New York Mets might miss the playoffs (Bummer). The Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets are both tied with the same record, 80-76, with the Reds holding a tiebreaker over the Mets. The Arizona Diamondbacks are 79-77, just one game back of that last spot. The final six games for these teams are going to be must-watch TV, so if you are a baseball fan, I suggest you tune in.

    While anything can happen in these final six games, I don’t think any Phillies fan would be opposed to the Mets not making the playoffs. The Cincinnati Reds have been a team I’ve liked all year and would be an interesting club to see make the postseason. As for the Diamondbacks, I want our revenge from 2023.

    Upcoming Week

    I expect the Phillies to hopefully win 4/6 games to close out the season. I would like them to finish strong so they go into the bye with some confidence before having to ramp it up again for postseason baseball. We are nearly one week away from the greatest time of year. Buckle up, Phillies fans.

    Prediction of the week: Alec Bohm homers twice at home this week, continuing his great performance since returning from injury.

    Oh, and the Mets miss the playoffs, and the Reds take the last spot.

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    Matt Saglembeni

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  • Phillies odds and ends: Comeback puts Dodgers in rear view, keeps pace with Brewers

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    Many fans were sleeping when the Phillies clinched the NL East on, well, Tuesday morning – well after 1 a.m. – with a 10th-inning win over the Dodgers.

    Likewise, folks were probably shocked on Wednesday to discover that the Phillies had beaten the Dodgers again in the second game of a three-game set despite trailing 4-0 after four innings and generating no offense against Shohei Ohtani. 

    The hangover should’ve been expected as the Phillies partied hard after their Monday night/Tuesday morning division-clinching win, but the Phillies beat up on the Los Angeles bullpen, scoring all nine runs off five different Dodgers relievers in the 9-6 win.

    Bryce Harper’s two-run double, Brandon Marsh’s three-run homer and Max Kepler’s two-run shot highlighted a six-run fifth inning for the Phils, and Rafael Marchán’s improbable three-run homer in the ninth broke a 6-6 tie. Jhoan Duran, who blew the save in Game 1, needed just 12 pitches to mow down the Dodgers for his 31st save.

    Here’s the big blast from Marchán, who started in place of J.T. Realmuto:

    In rallying back, the Phillies actually secured another milestone for the season – they ensured that any tiebreaker between them and the Dodgers in the National League playoffs would favor the Phillies.

    The Phillies, who will finish their six-game season series against the Dodgers tonight, have taken four of the five games so far and can finish no worse than 4-2, giving them a head-to-head advantage in a tiebreaker scenario.

    Is it moot? Probably, as the Phillies entered Wednesday’s action 6.5 games ahead of the Dodgers, who would fall into the Wild Card round as the third-ranked divisional leader. The Phillies also own any tiebreaker over the Cubs, who currently sit in the top Wild Card spot, 3.5 games behind the Phils, who also own the tiebreaker against them thanks to a 4-2 series win.

    The Phils also entered Wednesday 1.5 games behind the Brewers for the top seed, but the Phils went 1-5 against the Brew Crew this season, so any tiebreaker would favor Milwaukee.

    Another injury

    As if the recent losses of Trea Turner and Alec Bohm weren’t enough, the Phillies took another hit to the infield when they placed Edmundo Sosa on the 10-day Injured List before Tuesday’s game with a groin strain.

    Per Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation, Sosa’s groin strain is considered minor:

    The infield prospect they called up from Triple-A, Rafael Lantigua, was slashing .252/.359/.333 in 124 games with the IronPigs. He had seven HRs and 56 RBIs to go along with 17 SBs.

    Painter improvement? 

    Top Phils prospect Andrew Painter didn’t get that call-up that the Phillies had predicted in the spring would come in July, but he’s on the mound for the IronPigs at home Wednesday against Syracuse, trying to string together two positive outings.

    In his last start, Sept. 10 at Scranton/Wilkes Barre, he scattered three hits and didn’t allow a run through five innings. He also struck out six in a 74-pitch effort – one of his sharpest outings of late. Painter had given up six runs in each of his prior two starts as his ERA ballooned to 5.62, the highest it’s been this season.

    Painter is 1-1 in three starts this season against the Syracuse Mets, allowing 10 runs in 15.1 innings against them with 10 strikeouts and just three walks, but he’s also allowed six homers.

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    Geoff Mosher

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  • Phillies Weekly Recap: Zach Wheeler Out 6-8 Months, Phillies Prepare For NL East Showdown – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    May 23, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch in the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

    On Saturday, the Phillies announced that Zach Wheeler would be missing the remainder of the season with venous thoracic outlet syndrome, an injury that requires surgery and has a timetable of 6-8 months for a full recovery. The good news, Wheeler had the blood clot successfully removed. The bad news, the Phillies need to find a way to replace their Cy Young caliber ace for the final stretch of the season and into the playoffs.

    Win It For Wheeler

    No MLB team ever wants to lose its ace, especially a team that has World Series aspirations. For the Phillies, this situation is a new one. Since Wheeler signed with the Phillies, he has been a staple of the rotation, especially in the playoffs. Over the last three years, Wheeler has been great in the playoffs and was the best thing we had to ensure a win in a series. You knew if Wheeler was taking the mound, the Phillies had a decent chance to win the game. Now, with Wheeler gone for the season, it’s going to be extremely hard to replace an arm like his. Luckily for the Phillies, they have three arms I would trust in a playoff series, which is more than a lot of other teams have.

    With Wheeler being gone, I could see the Phillies rolling out a staff of Christopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, and Aaron Nola for a playoff series. Getting a first-round bye is massive for this team, as the National League gets the extra day off in between games this year (the leagues alternate each year). With that extra day, the Phillies will only need three arms for the NLDS. Game one starter is easily Christopher Sanchez, with game two belonging to either Ranger Suarez or Aaron Nola. If Rob wants back-to-back lefties, he will go with Ranger. If he wants to mix a righty in there, he will go with Nola. Despite his injuries and inconsistency, I trust Nola to show up and perform in the postseason. Like Wheeler, he has pitched well in the playoffs, and let’s not forget he was our ace at one point. My stance may change by season’s end, but I wouldn’t mind if Nola got the ball in a game two scenario.

    Ranger Suarez is cool, calm, and collected every time he steps on the mound, no matter the game. Having him pitch in a game two or three is not a terrible situation to be in. The Phillies are very fortunate this year to have a plethora of starting pitching, and if the offense can pick up the pitching, this team can still make noise in the postseason. If Suarez can close out an NLCS to send us to the World Series circa 2023, I would absolutely trust him starting a playoff game for us. He has found his groove in his last two starts, striking out 10+ in both. If that’s the Ranger, the Phillies get in the postseason, I will feel extremely confident this team could win a series even without Zach Wheeler.

    Offense Steps Up

    Losing your ace means you’re going to need more contributions from key players on offense. JT Realmuto has been on fire since June, leading all catchers in batting average since then. Bryce Harper has been swinging a hot bat, and Bryson Stott has been thriving in the nine hole. Rob Thompson moved Stott to 9th in the order a few weeks ago, and I have loved it ever since. Not only is Stott hitting more, but Trea Turner has been great since having Stott before the order turns around to him. Turner is hitting .300 and is the current NL leader in hits with 160. On top of Turner playing great defense this year, he is having his best season as a Phillie so far.

    Kyle Schwarber had a down weekend against the Nationals, but still has 45 homers and 109 RBI. He is second in home runs in baseball and leads the majors in RBI. Schwarber has been elite this year, and the Phillies will need his offense to remain consistent as we head down the stretch.

    Upcoming Week

    The Phillies have a massive week coming up, starting tonight against the divisional rival New York Mets (69-61). The Phillies are currently 7 games up on the Mets as we enter play this evening. The Phillies have an opportunity to bury the Mets this week if they can take 2/3 or even sweep them. It’s the biggest series of the season for this team, right off the heels of the Zach Wheeler news. I would like to think this Phillies team has the toughness and resilience to take at least 2/3 from the team that ended their season last year. It’s also ironic that it’s against Wheeler’s former team. After a three-game series against the Mets, the Phillies head back home for a four-game series against the Atlanta Braves (59-71). Another division rival that will be gunning for the Phillies despite being 10 games out of a playoff spot. The Braves would love to play spoiler and take some games from the Phillies.

    This Philadelphia Phillies team enters the biggest week of the season without its ace. It’s time to see what this team is made of and how battle-tested this team truly is. If the Phillies could take 5/7 games overall, it would be an extremely successful week.

    Prediction of the week: Who else picks up this team other than Bryce Harper? Harper and Schwarber power the Phillies this week, both clubbing 3 home runs apiece. A big week means I get to predict big.

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    Matt Saglembeni

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  • Ranger Suárez and Aaron Nola step up in different ways as Phillies win series over Nationals

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    To begin a stretch of 11 straight days with a game, the Phillies played host to the Washington Nationals for three games this weekend, looking to make up for a lackluster four-game set in Washington, D.C. last weekend in which the Phillies split with the last-place Nationals.

    Friday’s game looked like it would be the ideal opener to a series. Taijuan Walker allowed a three-run home run and threw 38 pitches in the first inning, then buckled down and tossed four scoreless frames to keep his bullpen fresh and his offense in the game. Bryson Stott tied the game with a two-run shot in the sixth inning and J.T. Realmuto hit one out in the following frame to put the Phillies ahead. But for the first time, Phillies manager Rob Thomson handed the ball to Jhoan Duran in a save situation and got burned. Duran allowed a double and a single to blow a 4-3 lead, then Realmuto made an error trying to cut down a base-stealer that enabled Washington to take the lead and ultimately escape with a 5-4 victory.

    The following evening, Aaron Nola took the mound against the same Nationals lineup that he failed to get outs against in his return from the injured list last weekend. The process and the results looked a whole lot different this time, as Nola’s velocity went up, his pitch mix changed and he only surrendered two earned runs in six strong innings. A five-run fourth inning – headlined by a three-run blast from Edmundo Sosa – was the difference in a 6-4 win. That time, Duran came in and shut the door.

    Looking to nab another series victory Sunday afternoon, the Phillies sent Ranger Suárez to the mound hoping he could build on a strong outing against the Seattle Mariners on Monday. Suárez could not muster the uptick in velocity that Nola had, but was still on his game. Suárez dazzled to the tune of seven scoreless innings, backup catcher Rafael Marchán drove in three runs in the first three innings and the Phillies never looked back en route to a 3-2 win and series victory. 

    From Suárez and Nola to Duran to a surging offense, everything to know about the Phillies’ weekend series against the Nationals:

    Will Ranger Suárez’s velocity ever come back? How much does it matter?

    Suárez once again did not have much velocity to work with Sunday, and even when the results have been good it has become a troubling trend. Suárez is 29 years old without an enormous amount of mileage; there is no obvious reason why his velocity should regularly be down three ticks from where he was in 2023.

    While Suárez has never relied on overpowering stuff to get outs, his margin for error will continue to be slim if he is sitting around 90.0 miles per hour. Once again, that is right about where he was on Sunday:

    Pitch Suárez’s average velocity in first 19 starts in 2025 (miles per hour) Suárez’s average velocity on Sunday (miles per hour)
    Sinker 90.1 90.1
    Changeup 79.5 79.2
    Cutter 86.2 86.1
    Curveball 73.6 74.3
    Four-seamer 91.3 91.6
    Slider 79.2 79.5

    The confounding part about Suárez is that, still, it is often difficult to argue with his results. And on Sunday, they were there. Suárez consistently got ahead of hitters and was notching quick outs. Diminished velocity forces him to have pristine command, and on Sunday he did.

    Even without much velocity, Suárez was able to generate some whiffs and keep Nationals hitters off-balance. After a rough stretch following the All-Star break, he has now posted back-to-back impressive outings. Monday marked the first time all year Suárez notched 10 strikeouts in a start, and he topped it on Sunday with a career-high 11 punchouts. For the second start in a row, Suárez did not issue any free passes.

    After his terrific start on Sunday – 7.0 scoreless innings pitched, scattering only three hits on 90 pitches (63 strikes) – Suárez is down to a 3.07 ERA in 20 starts (126.0 innings) in 2025.

    Suárez’s success almost never feels inherently convincing or repeatable in the moment. But at some point his track record gets to the talking. 

    Aaron Nola makes significant progress 

    Thomson expressed significant confidence on Saturday afternoon that, despite his massive struggles through 10 starts in 2025, Nola would step up. With Zack Wheeler officially done for the season, another member of this starting rotation becoming a reliable presence would do wonders. Nola has epitomized reliable for much of his career, but this year he just has not had good enough stuff to get by.

    But in Saturday’s 6-4 win, Nola showed signs of his former self.

    Nola’s velocity on Saturday was not just noticeably better than his first start after being reinstated from the injured list, a start in which the same Nationals hitters chased him out of the game in the third inning. Nola was throwing harder than he has all year. His four-seam fastball, which has often sat around 91 miles per hour this year, topped out at 94.1 miles per hour and sat in between 92 and 93.

    That might not sound like a lot, but when you have subpar velocity to begin with, going up even two ticks can make a massive difference.

    “The other stuff plays up,” Thomson said after the game of Nola’s velocity uptick. “It’s just like Taijuan: when he’s got his good fastball going, a tick or two above what he was last year, it makes everything else a little bit better.”

    For Nola specifically, it looked like the improved fastball allowed his signature curveball to be more effective. After the game, Nola had the same takeaway.

    “The fastball felt really good,” Nola said. “I feel like it set up some other stuff, especially my curveball.”

    Nola generated 16 whiffs across six solid innings of work, and his fastball-curveball combination was a major reason why. A particular reliance on that breaking ball could be part of a strategic adjustment on Nola’s part:

    Category Nola’s first 10 starts in 2025 Nola on Saturday
    Four-seamer usage 25.8% 32.0%
    Four-seamer average velocity (miles per hour) 91.5 92.6
    Curveball usage 28.7% 44.3%
    Curveball whiff percentage 35.5% 44.0%

    Nola’s final line on Saturday – 6.0 innings pitched, five hits, three runs (two earned), one walk and six strikeouts on 97 pitches (64 strikes) – was not mind-blowing. He allowed a pair of solo shots in the sixth inning, likely a sign he was running into a wall as he has been known to do later in starts. But Nola looked significantly better than he has in a very long time, and if it is a sign of things to come, the Phillies will have an easier time managing the loss of Wheeler.

    “It’s tough to lose him,” Nola said. “…It’s tough for the team, the city and the organization. But we’re going to do our best to pick him up and go win as many more baseball games as possible and try to win the division.”

    Odds and ends

    Some additional notes:

    • Duran blowing a save and Realmuto compounding it with an error to give the Nationals the lead – and, eventually, the win – was a disappointment on Friday night. But there was no consternation about Duran giving up runs for the first time in his Phillies career from the superstar closer or his manager. Talking about Duran’s blown save, Thomson invoked the name of a closer he spent plenty of time with.

    “Mariano had 80 of them,” Thomson said. “So it’s going to happen every once in a while.”

    Duran will blow another save at some point, but that point was not Saturday. He confidently stated after Friday’s loss that he did not need time to flush the loss and would be ready the next day. Despite allowing a pair of hits in the ninth inning on Saturday, he put up a zero to shut the door.

    • With Nationals lefty Mitchell Parker on the mound on Saturday, Thomson opted to stack his right-handed hitters, starting Harrison Bader, Edmundo Sosa and Weston Wilson with Max Kepler, Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott all sitting. Usually Wilson plays left field, but on Saturday he started at first base with Kyle Schwarber in left field and Bryce Harper serving as the designated hitter. Nothing was up with Harper physically, Thomson clarified before the game. The Phillies just wanted to give him a day off his feet. Washington’s first run ended up scoring after a play in which Wilson bobbled a ground ball and then a rushed throw to second base ended up sailing into the outfield.

    • As Thomson continues to juggle four outfielders vying for more at-bats, it was a surprise to see Kepler sit against right-handed starters on back-to-back days. But Bader went 3-for-4 on Saturday with two singles and a double, all carrying exit velocities of over 100 miles per hour (two of them neared 110). Those impressive swings, plus Bader’s previous success against Sunday starter Jake Irvin, landed him the start over Kepler for the second day in a row.

    Bader laced a single off Irvin in his first at-bat, later scoring on a two-out, two-run double from Marchán that got the scoring started. Bader walked on four pitches in his next plate appearance, and suddenly Irvin’s day was over after only getting seven outs.

    • Trea Turner reached on a throwing error by Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams in the first inning on Sunday, and in his second at-bat Turner hit an infield single in the hole when the play was too tough for Abrams to make. It was Turner’s 28th infield hit of the season, head and shoulders above the rest of the pack in the majors:

    • When Suárez’s day was done, Thomson summoned José Alvarado for the eighth inning, and for the first time since his suspension came to an end, Alvarado struggled. The strike zone was small, but he put the entirety of Washington’s 7-8-9 pocket on base without recording an out.

    Luckily for the Phillies, Tanner Banks continued to be dominant against left-handed hitters. With the bases loaded and no outs, Banks came into the game with a 3-0 lead, faced the two best hitters on the Nationals and got three outs. Banks quickly spun a double play ball off the bat of James Wood, then induced an Abrams flyout. The damage was limited to one run charged to Alvarado.

    Left-handed hitters were slashing .167/.205/.250 against Banks entering Sunday’s game, and he continued to show just how valuable he can be in October, when every matchup is scrutinized by a manager. Outside of Duran, Banks might be the Phillies’ best bet against lefties right now.

    Up next: The Phillies have Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo and Walker lined up to start the next three days, and that is good news. They will be at Citi Field on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to face the New York Mets with a chance to take a commanding lead in the National League East.

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Phillies Weekly Recap: Phillies Maintain NL East Lead, Zach Wheeler Placed On IL – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    The Phillies went 6-4 over their longest road trip of the season, maintaining a 5-game lead in the NL East. As Aaron Nola returned from the IL, Zach Wheeler went on the IL, with an upper extremity blood clot in his right shoulder. Wheeler currently has no timetable for a return.

    Happy To Be Home

    Despite having a winning record on the road trip, the Phillies’ offense struggled at times, and the pitching rotation took a massive hit with Zach Wheeler heading to the IL. The Phillies started this road trip last weekend in Texas against the Rangers, taking 2/3 in Texas. They lost 2/3 in Cincinnati to the Reds, a team fighting for the final Wild Card spot. They closed out their longest road trip of the season with four games in Washington, splitting the series 2/2 with the Nationals. While they head back home with a winning record on the trip, nothing can make up for the loss of Zach Wheeler.

    It was announced Saturday night that the Phillies would be placing Zach Wheeler on the IL with an upper extremity blood clot in his right shoulder. The Phillies have no timetable for his return at the moment, as he will be getting more testing done on his shoulder throughout the week. The Phillies losing their ace down the stretch is brutal, and with no timetable for his return, who knows if he will even pitch again this season. Blood clots are a serious issue, and I can see the Phillies being over-cautious with Wheeler. My best-case scenario is that he comes back with a week or two left in the season to get a start or two under his belt before the playoffs. The worst case is we don’t see him till next spring training. It’s going to be a very interesting next few days as more news is expected to come on Zach Wheeler’s health.

    Closing Out August

    As we enter the final two weeks of August, the race to the postseason is heating up. The Phillies currently hold a 5-game lead over the New York Mets for the top spot in the division. To close out August, the Phillies have a three-game series against the Mariners this upcoming week and then three series in a row against NL East competition. The Nationals come to town this weekend before the Phillies close the month out with a three-game series against the Mets and a four-game series against the Atlanta Braves. These next two weeks will be crucial for the Phillies as they try to set themselves up for back-to-back NL East titles. They have a chance to bury the Mets and take away any last hope the Braves have of making the postseason.

    The offense needs to get it going, and following an 11-run outburst in the final game of the Nationals series, I would hope the offense is starting to find its groove again. Getting Alec Bohm in the lineup is huge, and he showed that Sunday with a homer in his first game back. If the offense can put up 5-7 runs a game down the stretch, the Phillies should be able to use their top-tier bullpen to close out games.

    Speaking of the bullpen, reliever Jose Alvarado is expected to return from suspension this week, which will give the Phillies another hard-throwing lefty out of the bullpen. The Phillies also avoided disaster after newly acquired closer Jhoan Duran took a line drive off the foot Friday night. He was carted off the field as the city of Philadelphia held its breath. They were able to exhale on Sunday after Duran came in and earned a save against the Nationals.

    Upcoming Week

    The Phillies welcome the Seattle Mariners (68-57) to town for a three-game series against a team that’s also fighting for a division. The Mariners are 1.5 games back of the Houston Astros for first place in the NL West. The Phillies have an off day on Thursday, followed by a three-game series against the Nationals in Philadelphia. If the Phillies can finish the week winning 4/6 games, I will be happy.

    Weekly Prediction

    Alec Bohm hits a pair of homers during this homestand, and Christopher Sanchez shines in his first start since the Zach Wheeler news.

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    Matt Saglembeni

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