Tag: philadelphia-phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies and Their Big Beautiful Rotation

On Thursday, Cristopher Sanchez tossed eight innings of one run ball, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 2-1 victory over the Miami Marlins. The victory allowed Philadelphia to take three out of four games in Miami. The great outing by Sanchez improved his record to 6-2 and lowered his ERA to 2.87. After a rough two week stretch, the Phillies are rolling again with a 45-30 record, and are tied for first place with the New York Mets in the National League East. The team’s place in the standings is not surprising considering they are coming off three consecutive playoff appearances. I’m happy and more importantly, Caitlyn is happy (for now). In my opinion, the best group on this Phillies’ team is its starting rotation.

The ace, Zack Wheeler. Credit: CBS Sports

Notice I did not say the best rotation in baseball. By ERA, that title would belong to the Mets. Philly’s rotation is sixth in ERA at 3.49; New York’s is 3.03. What I love about the Phillies’ rotation is that it feels like one through five (when Aaron Nola is healthy) can go seven innings every time out. Indeed, their rotation leads baseball in innings pitched with 426. Zack Wheeler is the anchor, having finished second in the Cy Young race last year and consistently one of the best pitchers in in the game. He made waves this week by stating that he plans to retire after the 2027 season. Sanchez is a budding star, having tossed two complete games in 2024 and garnering an extension through 2033. Ranger Suarez started 2025 the injured list but has dominated in his return with a 2.20 ERA in nine starts. Jesus Luzardo had two horrendous starts pushing his ERA over 4.00. However, his acquisition ranks as one of the best during the offseason. Mick Abel has a 2.21 ERA in four starts filling in for Nola. Taijuan Walker can make a spot start in a pinch. Top prospect Andrew Painter is on the cusp of a Major League callup.

There is a lot to love about the Phillies’ rotation. That is why I call it “beautiful”. Having their staff work deep into games takes me back to when pitching seven innings was the norm. Though its ERA is sixth, and no starter has not thrown a complete game yet, I would take the Phillies’ rotation over everyone else’s in baseball.

Philadelphia Phillies Can Use Andrew Painter in the Bullpen

A week ago at this time, things were bleak for the Philadelphia Phillies. The team had just been swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates and sat 4.5 games out of first place in the National League East. The deficit would grow to five games after losing 8-4 to the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. Now? The Phils are only 2.5 games behind the New York Mets, having just swept the Toronto Blue Jays. Ranger Suarez, Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler all turned in outstanding efforts on the mound this weekend. The rotation is one of baseball’s best and the lineup is deep. The one thing that potentially dampens Philadelphia’s hope for a fourth consecutive playoff season is the bullpen.

Time for Andrew Painter to land in Philadelphia. Credit: The Philadelphia Inquirer

Enter Andrew Painter.

The Phillies’ top prospect should be looked at to bolster a suspect group. Their 4.50 ERA ranks 23rd out of 30 teams. Jose Alvarado, who was the team’s best reliever prior to getting suspended for 80 games for a positive PED test, won’t return until the middle of August. Jordan Romano has not worked out as expected in the closer’s role. Promoting Painter and putting him in the bullpen lessens the need to part with a good prospect for a rental. Despite underwhelming numbers in ten Minor League starts (4.82 ERA and seven home runs allowed), his 98 PMH fastball is the tonic for a struggling unit. Keep in mind that Painter missed all of 2023 and 2024 due to Tommy John surgery. Having him transition to a relief role could be a way to “ease” him into dealing with Major League hitters in preparation for making the big club out of Spring Training in 2026.

There is a precedent for this. In 2008, David Price was the top prospect of the Tampa Bay Rays. In September, he was brought up to the Majors and pitched out of the bullpen. In fact, it was Price that recorded the final out of Game 7 of the American League Championship Series to send the Rays to their first World Series appearance. The Phillies are a win now team and need to exhaust all options in order to return to the playoffs. Andrew Painter pitching out of the bullpen to me seems like a logical move. The resident Philles’ fan in the house also agrees with this assessment. Will Dave Dombrowski listen?

Living With a Rough Phillies’ Month

The Philadelphia Phillies are in the middle of a pretty bad stretch. They just snapped a five game losing streak, have lost eight of their last ten games and were swept this past weekend by the woeful Pittsburgh Pirates. On May 24, they were up by three games in the National League East; today they trail the New York Mets by four games. Bryce Harper is on the ten day injured list with a wrist injury. June has not been a kind month, to say the least, to the Phillies.

It’s making our house both tense and amusing at the same time thanks to a certain Phillies’ fan.

Bryce Harper’s IL stint is compounding the Phillies’ problem. Credit: Seattle Times

You can only imagine the pain Caitlyn is feeling and the endless one liners delivered by her. However, there is only so many, “My team is so bad” and “We stink” sentences a guy can stand. I will say her quote on Sunday of, “It’s ironic that we have a pride logo because we have nothing to be proud of” was a great zinger. We (yes, it’s more than just me) have to remind her how long the baseball season is. I get it. In a division where the Mets seem to be on an endless loop of playing the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox, to her, Philadelphia is heading for a 100 loss season. She also can’t get out of her head the “regression” her team has made: World Series in 2022, NLCS in 2023, Division Series in 2024. Instead of lamenting her current sorry state, Caitlyn should realize that there 96 games left in the season, plenty of time for her beloved team to capture a second straight division title.

At least there is some good news. The Phillies defeated the Chicago Cubs, 4-3 in 11 innings. Also, the Atlanta Braves are ten games under .500. much to Caitlyn’s delight. I hope tonight’s victory kick starts a winning stretch for the Phillies. If not, maybe I can publish more comedic material courtesy of one of their biggest fans.

Yankees, Mets and Phillies: Problems Abound?

The Major League Baseball season is seven months of ups and downs. It is important to not get too high or too low, particularly during April. It goes double for a team with high expectations. The first five game losing streak doesn’t necessarily mean a complete re-evaluation. Conversely, winning eight out of ten from April 15 through April 27 doesn’t translate into a parade. I have three fans in the house that I have to periodically remind that we have more than 75% of the season left to play. The New York Yankees, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies have already dealt with some adversity and should still be playoff bound. However, that doesn’t mean that there are situations that bear watching.

Devin Williams will hopefully regain the closer’s role. Credit: NY Post

New York Yankees: It is a month into the season and Devin Williams has already lost his closer’s role. On Friday night, chants of “We Want Weaver” resonated throughout Yankee Stadium as his latest poor outing concluded. Call it an adjustment period, call it a lack of confidence right now. Williams is too talented to go an entire season like this. I don’t think this is going to be a situation where the home run he gave up to Pete Alonso in last year’s playoffs starts the decline of his career. However, if the Yankees are to repeat as American League champions, Williams will need to fix his confidence, his mechanics and whatever else ails him. If not, those chants Friday will be mild compared to what will come later.

New York Mets: Out of the three teams, the Mets seem to have the least amount of worry. Despite a brutal loss on Sunday, they still own the league’s best record. It feels like they need bullpen help after coughing up a six run lead on the day A.J. Minter went on the Injured List. That is merely a coincidence. Until Juan Soto starts hitting more consistently, I feel as though the offense will still go on these wild swings of ten runs in one game and then ten over the next four contests. That seems like a contradiction considering the Mets’ record, however it is something that has happened in the early going.

Philadelphia Phillies: It seems like the Phillies have been searching for a guy to lock down the ninth inning for years. They signed a previous All Star closer, Jordan Romano but so far, the early results have been discouraging. The defection of Jeff Hoffman to the Toronto Blue Jays has made a shaky part of the team even more suspect. Outside of Jose Alvarado, is there anyone to trust to keep a one run lead? Also, Alec Bohm‘s second half slide from 2024 has carried over to this season. He hasn’t homered in 107 at bats and his OPS is .532. Perhaps all of the trade talk surrounding him in the offseason has affected his on field play.

New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies: One Girl’s Pain

On Monday evening, we made the trip to Citi Field to watch the New York Mets take on the Philadelphia Phillies. It was the four of us (Ryan went back to Siena earlier in the day), one of Caitlyn’s friends and a couple whose son is friends with Matthew. Beatrice and I remained neutral while everyone else (minus Caitlyn) was a Mets’ fan. If you know the result of the game, then you know that one of us went home not happy. In fact, after today’s game, it became clear that Caitlyn was almost ready to throw the towel in on the Phillies’ season.

Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto ready for action. Credit: Matthew Lynch

This was the third time we have seen Aaron Nola pitch in person. And for the third time, Philadelphia came out on the short end of the score. We had good seats, section 329 row 16. In came in handy when on this chilly night, we managed to avoid the brief drizzle that fell during the course of the contest. When Francisco Lindor led off the first inning with a home run and Jesse Winker led off the second inning with a home run, Caitlyn knew it was not a good omen. It didn’t help her cause watching Tylor Megill whiff ten Phillies’ batters, either. For Matthew and the rest of the Met fans, it was sheer delight when Lindor cranked a three run homer in the seventh inning to give the home team what seemed to be an insurmountable 5-0. It was around this time that Caitlyn reminded me emphatically that the Phillies needed bullpen help and that I would tell her they would be fine. Their second highest bullpen ERA that flashed across the TV screens above us made me a liar. She did have some joy in the ninth inning when Bryson Stott smacked a three run home run of his own to cut the lead to 5-4. Unfortunately for Caitlyn, Bryce Harper struck out to end the game, leading to yet another disappointing stadium outcome for her.

This is why I love my kids and marvel at how wonderful they are. There was no trash talking between Matthew and Caitlyn. Matthew was surely thrilled his Mets were victorious but was happy for Caitlyn that she got to see a big Phillies’ rally. As for Caitlyn, the rest of this series went as poorly you can get. Cristopher Sanchez left Tuesday’s start early with forearm trouble. Wednesday’s game was an extra inning loss, even after Philadelphia took the lead in the tenth inning. The series sweep left the team with a record of 13-12 and a certain young lady in my house ready to challenge them all to a fight.

What If She Didn’t Pick the Phillies?

I was driving home from work on Friday listening to the Yankees play the Pirates. In the fifth inning, Isiah Kiner-Falefa was picked off by Max Fried to record the second out of the frame. As the rest of the inning played out, you could hear the Pittsburgh crowd chanting, “sell the team”, this after a plane flew over the stadium imploring owner Bob Nutting to sell the Pirates. It was right at that point that I wondered aloud about something I never even gave a second thought.

I am thankful Caitlyn became a Phillies fan. Credit: WHYY

What if Caitlyn didn’t pick the Phillies as her team?

I think I have mentioned how Caitlyn became a Phillies fan. Toward the end of the 2016 season, the Mets were beating up Philadelphia as they drove to the Wild Card game. Matthew was becoming a little bit too loud for Caitlyn’s taste so she declared her allegiance to the Phillies on the spot. I thought about this while driving because the Phillies are really good now. If it were the Pirates that happened to be playing the Mets at that time in 2016, would she have picked them? What about the White Sox? The Angels? All three of those franchises are currently lost with little hope in sight. More importantly, would Caitlyn be as much of a baseball fan now if she had rooted for a team that consistently finished under .500? Granted, it took the Phillies another four years to break .500 but her loyalty has resulted in three consecutive playoff appearances, including a World Series berth.

The most fortunate aspect for Caitlyn choosing the Phillies is the ease in which we can go see them play at their ballpark. Can you imagine if she became a Dodgers or Giants fan? I don’t think we would be making many trips to see their home games. Thank goodness the Mets crushed the Phillies nine years ago. Following three good teams throughout the course of the baseball season makes each day so much fun.

Three Teams, One Family: How Do We Watch the Games?

One of the more challenging aspects of having three different favorite teams under one roof is deciding which game to watch. We do enjoy watching baseball together as a family, making it difficult to keep one station on for more than an inning. One would think that with me being the Dad and Ryan being the oldest child we should give the lion’s share of the viewing to the Yankees. However, with me seeing lots of Yankee victories over the years, I’d rather choose the happiness of my kids over my own interests.

Pete Alonso and the Mets are no always the game of choice. Credit: New York Post

So how do divide the television viewing up equally?

First off, I have been a little lax ordering MLB Extra Innings. That means Caitlyn does not get to watch her team as much as the boys get to watch theirs. Whenever the opportunity arises to catch a Phillies game on TV, we watch them over the Yankees and Mets. Perhaps this is the year we go back to Extra Innings and Caitlyn can get a chance to see her team a little bit more. MLB At Bat is always live in our house. Therefore, when we get a notice of a big inning, the child whose team is not the game of choice, goes to one of the other two TV’s to watch. I will sometimes stroll back and forth between the two rooms to see what unfolds. I do have the Optimum app so if we want to remain in one room, we put the other game on the app. Sometimes, we may decide that the more completive game is the one we view. Whenever there is a blowout, both on the winning and losing side, we shut that game off and go to the better one. Needless to say, there is a lot of channel surfing going on for at least six months.

We will not get to the point where more than another television finds its way into the living room. The setup we have now works just fine. No matter whose team is on, we will all root for them except when they play one another. Even when there is a Mets-Phillies game or Yankees-Mets contest, we are all respectful to one another….most of the time.

First Series Recap: A Mixed Bag

The Major League Baseball season just started. Yet, much like returning to school after Summer vacation, it doesn’t take long to feel as though baseball never left. If you scour over the landscape this weekend, teams of most fans feel as though the 2024 season is still continuing. The Dodgers are winning, the Pirates can’t get out of their own way and the Guardians continue to prosper despite offseason maneuverings. For those of us who are Yankees, Mets and Phillies fans, the same highs and lows that have been a part of this household for years were on full display over these past four days.

Bryson Stott and the Phillies had a good start to the season. Credit: Fox 29 Philadelphia

New York Mets

One can say that last season’s NLCS appearance should absolve the Mets from early criticism. However Matthew and I seem to have the same conversation every year. They pitch really well but they can’t hit when it matters, and sometimes like Saturday night, not at all. It won’t be an 0-6 start but suddenly the Mets are about to run into a hot team in the Miami Marlins. There is no panic in the house right now although Beatrice seems to think that Juan Soto should get a hit every time he comes to the plate based on what he is being paid. Matthew is more reserved but is still frustrated about scoring six runs in three games. He didn’t even bother watching the ninth inning of the series finale.

New York Yankees

Ryan doesn’t have Gleyber Torres to kick around anymore but five errors in one game? That is about the only negative to the hot start by the reigning, defending American League champions. After demolishing Brewers’ pitching with 15 home runs, the Yanks’ choice of bats is catching some attention. The pitching wasn’t the best but it didn’t have to be. Ryan and I are both confident that it will come around once the weather starts getting better. The two of us believe that the offense will continue to crank out a bucket full of runs even without Giancarlo Stanton. When Ryan returns home in less than three weeks, anything less than a first place standing will be a major disappointment.

Philadelphia Phillies

“We should have swept them”. That was Caitlyn’s remark after the Phils dropped the series finale 5-1 to the Washington Nationals. Still, she’s happy they won two of their first three games on the road. It’s always a roller coaster of emotions watching games with her. One minute she is proud of them, the next minute, well they stink. On balance, this is a much better start than the last two seasons when they were swept in Texas in 2023 and dropped two out of three to the Braves to begin 2024. Much less angst to begin this year and I even detected a smile or two.

Each Team’s Step Up Player

Today is one of the those days where I have decided to turn control over to the three Lynch kids. I have each of them to identify the player from their team who is about to take a big leap forward or play a bigger role. When I first posed the question, I am not quite sure if they understood what I was looking for. Caitlyn said Aaron Nola was her guy and then I had to remind her that he was an established Major Leaguer coming off a solid season. After clarifying my request, their minds went to work. What follows is the finished product in their own words (with a little commentary from me).

Perhaps Brett Baty can stick around for all of 2025. Credit: New York Post

New York Mets: Brett Baty

After a great start to 2024, Baty was sent down to Triple A at the end of May. With Mark Vientos firmly entrenched at third base, Baty seemed to a be man without a position. Matthew’s reasoning for Baty to play a big role for the Mets in 2025 is based on his Spring Training numbers. He has three home runs and ten extra base hits in 18 games. Jeff McNeil‘s injury has opened the door to a roster spot where he is getting a long look at second base. Perhaps the role as a swing infielder in the Jose Iglesias mold is where Baty will help the Mets the most in 2025.

Philadelphia Phillies: Orion Kerkering

The 23 year old right hander became an important piece of the Phillies’ bullpen during their 2023 playoff run. Kerkering had a tremendous first full season in 2024 with a 2.32 ERA in 63 games. He will be asked to expand his role this season with All Star Jeff Hoffman now in Toronto. Hopefully, Kerkering can channel the advice from his former teammate which you can read about here. Not only is Hoffman gone but Matt Strahm may not open the season in Philadelphia as he is dealing with a shoulder impingement. Even more pressure is on him because if he fails, Caitlyn will be requesting to meet him in the parking lot.

New York Yankees: Anthony Volpe

The Yanks’ shortstop had an uneven second campaign as his homer output was sliced nearly in half but he raised his batting average 34 points. Volpe’s grand slam in the World Series has fans hopeful that his bat can be much more viable in his third season. His club will need him to improve the anemic less than .300 on base percentage dramatically with the loss of Juan Soto and the potential long term unavailability of Giancarlo Stanton. His defense regressed in 2024 but Ryan looks forward to a Gold Glove caliber season in 2025. If New York wants to win back-to-back pennants, Volpe will have to become a next level player.

MLB Offseason: Yankees Play Landlord, Phillies Speculation, Mets Injury News

The Major League Baseball season ended two weeks ago and though it seems Spring Training is years away, in reality, we are under 100 days. By far, the biggest storyline of the offseason is where is Juan Soto going to sign? Given that Scott Boras is his agent and that he will have a handful of big money suitors, I don’t expect his decision until after New Year’s. The business of baseball over these next three months is more than just Juan Soto. There are still awards to hand out, players to be wined and dined and of course, the Winter Meetings in December. Our three teams have been in the news for one reason or another so far. All three have big expectations for the 2025 season. Now is the start of it.

Steinbrenner Field, home of the Rays in 2025. Photo from NBC News

Yankees Hosting a Rival

When Hurricane Milton rolled through southwest Florida in October, one of the casualties was Tropicana Field, home of the Rays. Extensive damage was done to the roof of the Trop, casting doubts on where the Rays would play in 2025. It was revealed that Steinbrenner Field, Spring Training home of the Yankees and the home of their Single A team would be Tampa’s domain for the season. With a capacity of 11,026, Steinbrenner Field is a more viable alternative to the other ballparks in the area. In exchange for their “generosity”, the Yanks will receive $15 million, helping them pay for about 38% of Aaron Judge‘s salary for 2025.

Interesting Phillies’ Rumor

Rumors are everywhere at this time of year. One that caught my eye, and when Caitlyn learned of it was “devastated”, is Alec Bohm being traded, as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. In corresponding speculation, Buster Olney of ESPN stated that the Phillies could a be place for Alex Bregman to land. This potential swap of third basemen is curious. Signing Bregman for a position that is not really a need adds another large salary to an already high Phillies payroll. Bohm has another two years of club control and is coming off his first All-Star selection. However, his steep drop in the second half and playoff disaster is giving management pause in making him the long term answer at the hot corner.

Met Injury News

The offseason got off to a painful start for Mets’ outfielder Tyrone Taylor. At the end of October, he underwent an umbilical hernia repair as well as right elbow surgery. Although this sounds troubling, Taylor is expected to start Spring Training on time. With Harrison Bader a free agent, Taylor is currently the only center fielder on the roster. He received a lot of playing time during New York’s playoff run, seeing action in every game and contributing a home run. Ideally, his role would be that of fourth outfielder, getting around 350 at bats between all three spots.