Bryson Stott delivered a gargantuan two-run home run in the eighth inning Sunday afternoon, lifting the Phillies to a series win against the Reds and preserving one of the most impressive outings of Zack Wheeler’s entire career, a 3-1 complete game one-hitter (with no walks).
In the first game of the three-game set, six runs of offense were wasted thanks to a lackluster pitching effort in a 9-6 setback. Things were back on track in Game 2 thanks to some stellar (and rare) clean bullpen innings in a 5-1 victory. In the finale, Wheeler looked every bit like the best pitcher in the National League, tossing his first complete game since 2021.
The Phillies head west for their final road trip before the All-Star break Monday night, facing the Giants and Padres in California. Before they getaway, here’s a look at the winners and losers from Philly’s latest victories:
Winners
Zack Wheeler
Wheeler should take Stott out to dinner to thank him for his dinger late in Sunday afternoon’s game. The Phillies ace allowed just one hit and struck out 12 in a full nine-inning game — that blemish was a solo homer off the bat of Austin Hays in what would have otherwise been a perfect game. No baserunners of any kind were allowed as Wheeler earned his ninth win and lowered his ERA to 2.17. It’s safe to call this the best performance of Wheeler’s career — and maybe the best performance by a Phillies pitcher since Cole Hamels’ no-hitter in 2015.
Ranger Suárez
Seemingly under the radar, Ranger Suárez is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball right now and he continued dealing with a sturdy performance Saturday, going five frames and allowing one run with six strikeouts. His ERA is now 1.99 for the year, and he is a remarkable 7-2 in 12 starts. His late emergence from the IL — he didn’t hit the field until May — might keep him out of the All-Star game in a few weeks but it doesn’t make him any less deserving of recognition.
Trea Turner
The Phillies’ shortstop has not only played better defense this season, he’s also been a hit machine. And that’s not an exaggeration. Turner leads all National League hitters in total hits and its not even close — he stands nearly 10 clear of Austin Riley. He’s also in the top 5 in the league in batting average and stolen bases. He had a breakout series against Cincy, gathering five hits in total over the trio of games.
Kyle Schwarber
Schwarber did Schwarber things in all three games against the Reds, tallying five hits in 11 at bats, with three walks. He hit a two-run homer in Saturday’s win a day after driving in two runs in Friday’s loss. On Sunday he drove in the Phillies’ first run with an RBI-double in the fifth. He’s quickly climbing the NL’s top 10 for RBI this season and continues to make Phillies fans dread his becoming a free agent at season’s end.
Losers
Jesús Luzardo
With the starting pitching front and center for the Phillies this season and the main catalyst for their success, Jesús Luzardo remains a singularly inconsistent figure. After bursting out of the gates looking like an ace, he had a very rough stretch to start June — but he seemingly worked his way out of it. The bad Luzardo returned Friday, as six runs crossed the plate while the lefty retired only six batters and left the game in the third inning. When he’s good, he’s dazzling. When he’s bad, he’s basically an automatic loss.
J.T. Realmuto
Though he did muster two hits in the opening game of the Phillies’ three-game set, he was more a liability than a plus on offense against the Reds this weekend. Realmuto struck out a team-high five times in the series and nearly hit into a double-play in a key at bat in the fourth inning. When he reached on a fielder’s choice, he was caught trying to steal second. Realmuto hit a single in his last at bat Sunday and was plated on Stott’s go-ahead homer as a valuable insurance run.
Joe Ross
Brought into the fold to be a swingman with experience both starting and relieving, Ross has played his way into mop up duties and not much else of late. His three runs allowed in three innings Friday added insult to injury as the Phils fell behind early, and he raised his ERA to 5.54 on the year. The Phillies have lost in all four of his latest appearances, and he allowed runs in three of them. He has not tossed a clean inning in over a month.
The Phils versus good teams
The Phillies do not have a winning record in 46 games against teams with winning records this season, including their series win against the Reds this past weekend. With the 10th (win) best record against teams above .500 this season, they are truly beating up on the bad teams (30-14, the 4th best record in MLB). There is a lot of baseball left to be played, but with teams they’re likely to face in the postseason, like the Mets, Brewers, Giants and Dodgers handling winning competition much better, it is an area of concern.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
