3 Numbers to Remember: Phillies offense leads way in series win

The Philadelphia Phillies five-game win streak came to an end on Sunday, but they still had an impressive series win against the Atlanta Braves.

They are 14-15 on the season, but remain tied with the Miami Marlins for the second-best record in the NL East. They have remained a streaky team, with losing streaks of three and four games and winning streaks of four and five games over the past few weeks.

Here are three numbers to remember after this weekend’s series:

4.20 – Bullpen ERA in series

On Friday, the Phillies bounced back from a tough outing by Adam Morgan to keep the Braves scoreless the rest of the way. This included keeping them off the board in the 10th and 11th innings despite them starting the inning with a runner in scoring position.

In Saturday’s game, Hector Neris and Brandon Workman kept the Braves off the board after an impressive outing by Zach Eflin. It was a big series for Neris, who threw 1-2-3 innings on Friday and Saturday after struggling in his previous outings.

After Jake Arrieta and David Hale combined to allow 10 runs in the second inning of Sunday’s game, the Phillies bullpen bounced back. They allowed two runs the rest of the way, and gave the offense the chance to work their way back into the game.

The Phillies bullpen was not perfect in this series, but was noticeably improved from where it has been at points during the season.

Eight – Home runs

It was a big series for the Phillies offense, who currently have the third-best OPS in baseball. Six different players hit home runs, and none came from J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper, who have been struggling of late.

The Phillies ability to ride a win streak while their two best players are not performing offensively is a good sign. Rhys Hoskins, Andrew McCutchen, and Jean Segura struggled to start the season, but all three hit home runs in this series and played a big role in the team’s wins in the first two games.

Hoskins is in the midst of his best stretch since the first half of the 2019 season, slashing .360/.448/.920 with four home runs over his last six games. This is a good sign for Hoskins and the Phillies, and his hot stretch is a big reason they were able to win five straight.

Center fielder Roman Quinn has also been hot during this stretch, slashing .429/.500/.643 and flashing his elite speed to help the Phillies score runs. The Phillies getting production from everywhere in the lineup is showing just how deep it is beyond just Harper and Realmuto.

Three – Games out of first place

Just over a week ago, the Phillies had the second-worst record in the National League. Now, they are tied for the second playoff spot in the NL East and are within striking distance of the division lead.

While Sunday’s loss was a setback, the team is still in the midst of its best stretch of the season. They went 5-5 against the first place Braves on the season, and will not face them again in the regular season.

The biggest test for the Phillies comes in less than two weeks, when they play a seven-game series against a Marlins team they have notoriously struggled against over the past two seasons. Until then, they face the division rival Washington Nationals and New York Mets four times each.

Just 31 games remain in the Phillies season.

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