Philadelphia Phillies face a true litmus test in series against Brewers
With the Philadelphia 76ers’ crushing playoff exit, the Philadelphia Phillies now have the stage all to themselves for a while, and it’s time for them to start establishing themselves as a true threat in the National League.
Fittingly, the Philadelphia Phillies will play in front of the home fans all week as they try to help a city forget about what just happened to its basketball team. And they begin this leg of the schedule with a “measuring stick” four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers, a squad that just may be the class of the National League.
The first game is in the books after last night’s 7-4 Phillies victory, one that TV analyst Ben Davis correctly described as “the biggest team win of the year.” In a game where ace Aaron Nola absolutely labored through three innings, Bryce Harper went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and the Phillies’ pitchers walked eight Brewers hitters overall, the team nevertheless was able to pull out a win thanks to timely hitting and an excellent collective outing by the bullpen. It was refreshing and encouraging, to say the least.
To be successful in their games against Milwaukee, the Phillies must exploit the Brewers’ glaring weakness – their starting pitching. Last night, they had mixed results against Freddy Peralta, knocking him out after forcing him to throw 80 pitches in four innings but only scoring two runs in that time. You would certainly like to see the Phillies pour more offense into the beginning of games, but last night they were able to plate runs against three different Brewers relievers to come from behind and win.
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This game was an excellent sign that the Phillies are capable of winning ballgames even when they don’t get the kind of starting pitching that they should expect or receive any kind of offensive contributions from their most expensive player. Bryce Harper, though, deserves credit for not letting struggles at the plate affect his play in the field, as he made a sparkling defensive play that was a key factor in the victory.
It’s been a strange season so far, one that doesn’t feel like it’s truly gotten off the ground yet even though the Phillies currently hold a 3.5-game lead in the surprisingly ordinary National League East at the moment. They’re on pace for 97 wins, which would be a fantastic season, but something has seemed off.
Yet, despite Harper’s struggles, the uncertain bullpen, Nola’s regression and every other pothole they’ve faced, we can claim that the season’s first quarter was a success. Tonight, however, as their series with Milwaukee resumes, the Phillies need to show that they can reach another level.
The Brewers boast reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich, who anchors an extremely formidable batting order. And they have the league’s top Swiss army knife/reliever in Josh Hader. This is a team that came within one game of the World Series last season and still has the tools to win now. Beating them in at least three out of their four games against each other this week would send a message that the Phillies are also prepared to win this year and that 2019 isn’t just a “next step” season.
The Brewers were my preseason pick to win the World Series this year because I think they have the roster and the experience to go all the way, but also because I wanted to temper my expectations about how well the Phillies could gel this season after a massive overhaul. I simply thought that the World Series was just a bit too ambitious for them in 2019. But a strong showing this week (and when the teams meet again next week in Milwaukee) might just convince me to change my tune.
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So, with all eyes on the Phillies (except for when WIP dedicates an entire week of programming to analyzing the Philadelphia Eagles‘ latest addition to their practice squad), let’s soak in what should be an exciting and successful few months. These Phillies aren’t a one-note team like the 2018 version was, pulling out wins with smoke and mirrors before the floor collapsed. They can start to show us right now against a very good Milwaukee Brewers squad that the National League is within their grasp.