The Phillies slipped for the first time in a long time, losing two of three games against the Rockies and then the series opener to the Giants. However, this does not diminish their accomplishments.
PHILLIES MLB
The Phillies are human. Who knew?
They lost two of three games to the Rockies over the weekend in Colorado, Ranger Suárez had his first weak performance of the season, and then headed to San Francisco, where they lost the series opener Monday.
This is the first time the Phillies have dropped consecutive games, let alone a series, in weeks. But that is baseball. It was unavoidable over the course of a 162-game season, and they still had baseball’s best record, 38-17, entering Tuesday night.
It’s a hard period, but only for now, and nothing to be alarmed about, as evidenced by the most recent wave of MLB power rankings.
Here’s a look.
MLB.com: First
The Rockies are awful, but Coors Field provides a distinct home field advantage. At the same time, it’s a place where batters can really let the ball fly, which the Phillies didn’t do.
Will Leitch says that this is an odd series for a usually deadly team.
Losing a series at Coors Field is not a big thing. Even when they aren’t a good club overall, the Rockies are always strong at home. What’s strange is how the Phillies achieved it: they didn’t hit. One of baseball’s finest offences managed only two runs in two of the three games. When that’s all you’re managing at Coors Field, you have to be grateful you didn’t get completely washed away. [MLB.com]
ESPN: First.
ESPN’s panel of baseball writers and analysts moved the Phillies into first place over the Dodgers from the previous week, but it’s worth noting that they publish their power rankings late in the week rather than early, so this came as the Phils were on their way to sweeping the defending champion Rangers, but before they hit that stumbling block against the Rockies.
Regardless, David Schoenfield wrote this about the Phillies:
The Ranger Suárez show continues as the southpaw defeated the Rangers on Tuesday, allowing one run in seven innings and striking out ten, improving his record to 9-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his first ten outings. Since 1920, the following pitchers have won at least nine of their first ten starts with an ERA less than 1.50: Suárez, Ubaldo Jimenez (2010), Juan Marichal (1966), and Sal Maglie (1952). The game has changed: Suárez has pitched 66 innings, while Marichal has thrown 92 innings in ten starts, an average of more than nine per start. Still, Suárez has been fantastic, and his 10 strikeouts in one inning matched a career record established in September against the Marlins. [ESPN]
Of course, Suárez let up five runs (four earned) in his next start and lost, but he did struck out nine, which hardly detracts from his fantastic start to the year.
FIRE US UP, TOPPER 😤 pic.twitter.com/OHdivH63YK
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) May 23, 2024
CBS Sports: First
The Phillies began drawing comparisons to the 2001 Mariners, then promptly lost to the Rockies. Baseball is frequently cruel, as Matt Snyder writes:
They were named alongside the 2001 Mariners, but then proceeded to Colorado and lost a series to the woeful Rockies. Baseball strikes again! [CBS Sports].
But he still has the Phillies as number one.
Regarding the ’01 Mariners analogies, here’s Rob Thomson’s take from last week:
Bleacher Report: First.
Again, the Rockies are poor, so a series defeat to them seems unusual given how good the Phillies have been playing, but isn’t that what the cushion they’ve built up is for?
Writes Joel Reuter:
A series loss to the Rockies is surprising, but Coors Field is never easy to play in, and the Phillies still have baseball’s best record, highest run differential (+93), and largest division advantage in the NL East, with a six-game lead over the Braves. Shortstop Trea Turner has been out since early May with a hamstring issue, and in his place, Edmundo Sosa is hitting.321/.406/.607 with nine extra-base hits in 58 plate appearances this month. [B/R]
Sosa has been tremendously crucial in Turner’s absence, and he may be the best bench player in baseball right now.
Five thoughts: Phillies lose their first series since March to the lowly Rockies.
The Athletic: First.
Really, don’t overthink the Colorado series. According to Andy McCullough, a member of The Athletic’s ranking panel:
Sometimes the simplest statistics provide the most information. The Phillies have been clicking for quite some time. The club lost a series against Colorado this weekend, the first time since early April. The squad had not lost consecutive games since April 23-24. The starting rotation has been outstanding, with Ranger Suárez emerging as a Cy Young Award contender, and big-money pitchers Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola doing what they are paid to do. Bryce Harper remains Bryce Harper. Alec Bohm appears to be on track for his first All-Star appearance. The National League East appears to be the division to lose. [The Athletic].
Baseball has a peculiar effect on people at times.
