Phillies Offense Soars in Key Series Win Over the Mets
The Phillies and the Mets clashed this weekend for the sole possession of first place in the NL East division. The series was much different than the series that happened earlier this year, where the Phillies were swept by the Mets in Citi Field. The Phillies took the series at home two games to one in part due to their offense, which was on fire two out of the three games. The Phillies continue their hot streak as of late, where the team has won 10 out of their last 13 games, including a sweep over the Toronto Blue Jays. The series win puts the Phillies a full game ahead of the Mets for the NL East’s top spot, with their record now at 47-31 in the 2025 season. Taking a deeper look, it was the Phillies' offense that led the way, but also the work of the starters to pick up the crucial win.
Starting Pitchers Get Things Going Early for the Phillies
In two out of the three games during this series, it was the starting pitching that gave the Phillies a slight edge over the Mets. In the first game, it was the Phillies’ ace Zack Wheeler who started the game out strong for the Phillies. Even though Wheeler did not go as deep into the game as he usually does, it was still a shutdown performance through five innings. Wheeler shut down the Mets' lineup, forcing eight strikeouts while not allowing a single run on only four hits. In the final game, it was Jesus Luzardo who got things going for the Phillies like he had during the early parts of the season. Luzardo had struggled as of late, but went back to his old ways and shut down the Mets’ offense. Luzardo pitched 6.2 innings in the start, forcing seven strikeouts and only allowing three hits and no runs. The Phillies' rotation is among some of the best in the MLB, but it’s been a different type of pitching that has let them down this season and in this series in particular.
The Lack of Reliable Bullpen Options Continues to Show Up in Games
The Phillies' bullpen has struggled all season long and has yet again become an issue during the series against the Mets. Earlier in the article, the performance of Zack Wheeler in game one was mentioned; however, what was not mentioned was what happened exactly after he left the game. What happened was that Taijuan Walker came into the game and lost the lead for the Phillies that Wheeler had built. Thankfully for the Phillies, it was the only run that the Mets scored in the first game. Following that up in game two, the Phillies' bullpen proceeded to give up seven runs, which included Joe Ross and Michael Mercado giving up three each. In the third game, outside of one run, the bullpen performed well. The issue for the Phillies is that the bullpen doesn’t have enough reliable arms to be able to compete with the top teams. Yes, the bullpen was shut down for the rest of the first game, outside of Walker and the one run in the third game, but there is improvement to be made. The team needs to make some moves and try to improve the bullpen using sources outside of the organization.
Being Home Makes a Difference With the Offense’s Approach
In the same series earlier this year in New York, the Phillies as a team looked awful and couldn’t get things going offensively. The team only scored eight runs in the three games combined and looked lost at the plate. At home now, the Phillies' offense looks much better and has almost gotten its swagger back at the plate. The team combined for 21 runs in the three games, which came in a variety of ways. The long ball was working this series as Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, and Edmundo Sosa each had a home run. The offense was additionally able to capitalize with runners in scoring position during each of the games, which fans had been screaming about. Overall, the Phillies' offense produced 31 hits across the series, and it came from a variety of players, which is amazing to see. The Phillies' performance at home this entire season puts them in a great spot to potentially compete for a World Series.
