{"id":60727,"date":"2023-08-23T07:00:11","date_gmt":"2023-08-23T11:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=60727"},"modified":"2023-08-22T21:10:51","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T01:10:51","slug":"phillies-aiming-to-build-wildcard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2023\/08\/23\/phillies-aiming-to-build-wildcard\/","title":{"rendered":"Phillies Aiming to Build Upon NL Wild Card Lead"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0<\/span>Philadelphia Phillies<\/span><\/a>\u00a0went 7-3 during the first ten days of August. They have gone 4-5 since August 11, before the start of their contest on August 22. During their string of games from July 31 to August 10, the club was hitting as well as any other in the league.\u00a0<\/span>Trea Turner<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Nick Castellanos<\/span><\/a>, and\u00a0<\/span>J.T. Realmuto<\/span><\/a>\u00a0looked like they were turning the corner after enduring their share of struggles at the plate during July.<\/span><\/p>\n

Philadelphia has talent throughout their lineup, without question. This year,\u00a0<\/span>Alec Bohm<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Bryson Stott<\/span><\/a>\u00a0have been their most reliable batters despite featuring veteran players such as\u00a0<\/span>Bryce Harper<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Kyle Schwarber<\/span><\/a>, Turner, Castellanos, and Realmuto. During August 12-15 contests, the Phillies scored two runs. Before their August 12 game, the lineup tallied 26 runs in their previous three games.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is the answer, “That’s baseball,” regarding their recent win-loss record?<\/span><\/p>\n

Phillies Continue to Exhibit High-Octane Offense<\/span><\/h3>\n

Club’s Power Hitting Has Led Them to One-Sided Victories<\/span><\/h4>\n

The Phillies have played in a few contests during August in which they have won by a large margin. Their most impressive wins were on the following dates:<\/span><\/p>\n

August 9 – vs.\u00a0<\/span>Washington Nationals<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(7-0)<\/span><\/p>\n

August 11 – vs.\u00a0<\/span>Minnesota Twins<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(13-2)<\/span><\/p>\n

August 16 – at\u00a0<\/span>Toronto Blue Jays<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(9-4)<\/span><\/p>\n

August 19 – at Nationals (12-3)<\/span><\/p>\n

August 21 – vs.\u00a0<\/span>San Francisco Giants<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(10-4)<\/span><\/p>\n

Phillies Have Come Up Short in Some Contests<\/span><\/h3>\n

Phillies Have Struggled in Close Games During August<\/span><\/h4>\n

At the time of this writing, the Phillies are 3-7 in games decided by three runs or less in August. They are 8-1 in games selected by four runs or more. The club is driven by its offense and has developed a trend of having trouble winning if they are in a close, low-scoring game. If they are going to be successful in the playoffs, assuming they qualify, they need to win close games.<\/span><\/p>\n

Championships are won in close contests, and teams need reliable starting pitching and relievers. The Phillies will not only sometimes win by large margins due to their offense in the postseason, but they will face prime pitching. The club needs to break the recent trend they have been in with hard-fought games before it further becomes a more significant concern.<\/span><\/p>\n

Latest on the Injury Front<\/span><\/h3>\n

Marsh and Alvarado Return From Injuries, Suarez Heads to Injured List<\/span><\/h4>\n

The Phillies received two boosts to their active roster with the returns of\u00a0<\/span>Brandon Marsh<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on August 20 and\u00a0<\/span>Jos\u00e9 Alvarado<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on August 21. Marsh suffered a left knee contusion and was inactive for two weeks. He is their best defensive outfielder and can play different positions throughout the outfield.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Phillies recalled LHP Jos\u00e9 Alvarado from his rehab assignment with Lehigh Valley (AAA) and reinstated him from the 15-day IL (left elbow inflammation). RHP Luis Ortiz was optioned to Lehigh Valley. INF\/OF Weston Wilson was optioned to Lehigh Valley following last night\u2019s game<\/p>\n

\u2014 Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 21, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n