The Philadelphia Phillies have won four of their six games during the first week of August. Philadelphia is a half-game behind the San Francisco Giants for a National League Wild Card spot. Entering their series against the Washington Nationals, the Phillies are now ten games over .500 and 36-19 since June 2. But they’re 8-8 in their previous 16 games following a weekend matchup against the Miami Marlins. They did manage to win three of four games against the Marlins before taking two of three against the Kansas City Royals. The Phillies are chasing the playoffs and would love to play in games that aren’t always close.
The Phillies are chasing more power — they’d love to play in games that aren’t always close. They entered Sunday ranked eighth in the National League in slugging percentage. They began life without Marsh by hitting three homers with men on base. In three games this weekend against one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball, they hit seven multi-run homers. They hit 45 in the 109 games before that.
Phillies Batters Are Warming Up
Bohm Bat Continues to Be Reliable
They enter Tuesday ranked eighth in the NL in slugging percentage. It’s because of manager Rob Thomson, who looks to have found a suitable fit for the second spot in the batting order in Alec Bohm. No matter where the 27-year-old hits, he has consistently been one of the club’s top hitters, no matter where Thomson places him in the batting order. Over the first seven games with Bohm hitting second, he has multiple hits in four contests and seven RBI. His batting average has risen as well over the last week.
That’s what we love to see, Alec pic.twitter.com/O7XIiWF0Xb
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 3, 2023
Before the series opener against Miami, Bohm was hitting .284. Before the August 8 contest against the Nationals, his average is up to .294. Unless signs of his bat slowing down, Thomson should consider keeping him at the top of the lineup.
Bohm has been able to get on base frequently throughout 2023 with a .763 on-base percentage. The Phillies need to find consistent hitting near the top of their batting order. This follows the offensive struggles of Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos, who both hit in the second spot. Both players have found more success hitting in other places in the lineup over their last seven contests.
Turner and Castellanos Are Slowly Turing Around
Turner is hitting .179/.233/.357 line in the last seven games. His first season with the Phillies has not gone as anyone envisioned. The shortstop has a .238/.291/.378 slash line, 11 home runs and 39 RBI in 110 games. However, the Phillies fanbase has shown him support during the most recent homestand, and the shortstop showed his appreciation to them with a simple message: “Thank you, Philly.”
The message has been displayed on 12 digital billboards throughout Philadelphia following the club’s victory on August 6.
Trea Turner is thanking Phillies fans for the standing ovations this weekend on billboards around Philly. Wow. #CityOfBrotherlyLove pic.twitter.com/7XlREGusGX
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) August 6, 2023
Considering his struggles for most of the season, all Turner can do now is focus on improving one game at a time. The Phillies need him to be playing his best as they continue to make their push for a playoff spot.
Castellanos’ Numbers Have Improved in Late
Castellanos’s struggles at the plate began in July. He has a .175/.212/.317 line with three home runs, 10 RBI and 21 strikeouts in his last 15 games. In his previous seven contests, he has a .267/.290/.567 line with three home runs, seven RBI and seven strikeouts.
Nick Castellanos with another big 2 run HR. He has 3 homers and 7 RBIs over the last 6 games. Going back to his home in Miami helped him, especially getting in his home batting cage till 1 AM last Sunday night.
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) August 6, 2023
Recently, the outfielder appears more comfortable hitting near the middle than the top of the batting order. With Bohm hitting well from the second spot, Thomson can leave Castellanos to hit at the middle of the lineup. While the right-fielder has improved hitting over the last week, he still needs to regain his consistency from April through June.
Phillies Have an Opportunity to Continue Momentum
Philadelphia will play a doubleheader against Washington on August 8. The Nationals did move their top trade piece in Candelario. He performed just well, hitting 20 doubles and 16 home runs in the heart of the lineup. The Nats had the fifth-worst record in the league and should be slightly worse the rest of the way.
The Phillies will continue their homestand against the Minnesota Twins this weekend. They are the leaders in the AL Central at the moment but are also two games above. 500. The Twins couldn’t add a bat as they hoped for but decided to stay pat. They are a good team, but the Phillies have more talent.
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