The Philadelphia Phillies miserable month concluded with the team getting swept at home for the first time in two years. In addition, it was the first time in 62 series that the Phillies had been swept. That is a franchise record. It also marked the end of a 171-game streak without losing four in a row. That is the second-longest streak in franchise history. The Chicago White Sox are the lone team with a worse record than the Phillies since the All-Star break. The Phillies are 3-9 in that span. In July, the Phillies had a 9-14 record. The Phillies went 1-5 on their home stand to close out July.
Things will not get any easier for the Phillies in August. Outside of two games against the Miami Marlins and four games against the Washington Nationals, every game the Phillies play in August is against a team in the playoff race. Six of the Phillies last 12 games in August are against the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies hold a 6 1/2 game lead over the Braves in the NL East. During the West Coast road trip to start August, the Phillies have a crucial series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. A Phillies win in that series gives them the tiebreaker over the Dodgers, which could determine who the top seed in the NL is.
Phillies Miserable Month
Stars And Other Key Contributors Not Playing Well
One reason the Phillies miserable month came was stars going into a slump. Bryce Harper had a .149/.240/.358 line with four home runs and nine RBI in 17 July games. Harper had a .598 OPS and a 63 wRC+ in July. Harper has had a .033/.094/in his last seven games.133 line with one home run and two RBI. Harper has a .227 OPS and a -52 wRC+ in that span. This slump has recently contributed to the Phillies lack of offensive success. Trea Turner is also in a slump. In his last seven games, Turner has had a .156/.206/.250 line with one home run and two RBI. Turner has a .456 OPS and a 27 wRC+ during that stretch.
On the pitching front, José Alvarado had a rough July. In 10 July appearances, Alvarado had a 0-2 record with an 8.31 ERA and a blown save. Opposing hitters had a .306 batting average against Alvarado in July. In five appearances since the All-Star break Matt Strahm has a 9.64 ERA and two blown saves. Additionally, Orion Kerkering has a 0-1 record with a 9.00 ERA in six appearances since the All-Star break. July went so well for the Phillies that Garrett Stubbs made two pitching appearances in blowout losses.
Injuries Playing A Role
Another factor at play is injuries. J.T. Realmuto made seven July appearances after returning from injury on July 20. Since returning from injury, Realmuto has a .231/.333/.231 line with no home runs and no RBI. Furthermore, Realmuto has not had an extra-base hit since returning from the injured list. It is worth noting that Realmuto did not go on a rehab assignment before returning. Harper and Kyle Schwarber also missed some time at the start of July because of injuries. Schwarber had a .926 OPS and hit five home runs in July.
Ranger Suárez went on the injured list on July 27. This comes after Suárez had some rough outings. Suárez had a 0-3 record in three July starts with a 6.61 ERA and 17 strikeouts. Opposing hitters had a .279 batting average against Suárez in July. In the lone start Suárez has made since the All-Star break, he recorded four strikeouts and gave up seven hits and three runs. The good news is that Suárez is not expected to be out for a significant period of time. Kolby Allard gave up six hits and allowed three runs, making a start in place of Suárez on July 28.
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