Phillies news and rumors 8/8: Club set to begin four-game series against red-hot Diamondbacks

Bryce Harper and the Phillies begin a series in Arizona on Thursday. (Allan Dranberg/Icon Sportswire)

After finishing their series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles with a win on Wednesday, the Phillies are now in Arizona to face the Diamondbacks for a four-game series. The last time the Phillies faced the Diamondbacks, both teams were in different places. Rob Thomson’s club was 24 games above .500. Torrey Lovullo’s was one game below the .500 mark and struggling to find their footing.

Since then, Thomson’s team has had their fair share of struggles, especially in recent weeks. Lovullo’s team, on the other hand, have turned their season around and have the best record in Major League Baseball (25-12) dating back to June 24 — the day after they finished their series at Citizens Bank Park.

Through June 23, the biggest issue for Arizona was their pitching. As a staff, they ranked 14th in the National League in wins above replacement (4.0), according to FanGraphs, and their 4.58 ERA ranked 13th. Altogether, the D-backs allowed 4.77 runs per game over their first 78 games of the season.

Those numbers are comparable to what Arizona’s stock of pitchers has done since. Over their last 35 games before Wednesday, they were allowing 4.69 runs per game. While their starting pitching has continued to be less than ideal, Arizona’s bullpen has gotten better. Between Opening Day and June 23, that group had a 4.49 ERA. Between June 23 and August 6, it was 3.88.

With their pitching remaining about the same, Arizona’s offense has been the reason for their current six-week hot streak. And it wasn’t as if their offense had struggled early in the season, either. They’ve just been on an insane level ever since leaving South Philly in late June.

Over their first 78 games, the Diamondbacks’ offense ranked fourth in the NL in runs (368) and sixth in OPS (.720). Between June 24 and August 6, their offense led the NL in runs scored with 214 and OPS (.832). The Mets ranked second in both those categories and were well behind the D-backs. New York plated 192 runs in that span with a .769 OPS. Arizona’s 54 homers over those 35 games tied with the Reds and Rockies for most in the NL.

For more context, Arizona’s offense averaged 4.72 runs per game through June 23. From June 24 to August 6, they averaged 6.11.

Arizona’s red-hot streak continued on Wednesday as they swept a doubleheader in Cleveland against the Guardians, which completed a three-game series sweep. The D-backs scored 12 runs between their two games on Wednesday while slugging five homers. Their pitching staff surrendered six runs.

Ketel Marte, Gabriel Moreno, Joc Pederson, Eugenio Suárez, and Christian Walker have all been a huge part of Arizona’s offensive outburst over the last six weeks. Even Corbin Carroll, who started the year as one of the worst hitters in the NL, has turned things on as of late thanks to an increase in power productivity. Carroll has a .513 slugging percentage over his last 30 games.

Moreno and Walker were both recently placed on the injured list, so they won’t play in this weekend’s series. Taking Walker’s spot at first has been Josh Bell, who hits well against the Phillies as evidenced by his career .891 OPS and 15 home runs against them.

As for their pitching, starter Zac Gallen has struggled of late with a 5.35 ERA in his last seven starts. Offseason acquisition Jordan Montgomery has struggled all year and has a 6.37 ERA. Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt has pitched well this season and has a 2.66 ERA across his last seven starts. Pfaadt started a game on Wednesday, so the Phillies won’t face him this weekend.

In Arizona’s bullpen, Kevin Ginkel, Joe Mantiply, Justin Martinez, and Ryan Thompson have been key contributors. Recently acquired A.J. Puk is important, too. Paul Sewald has had some problems in recent weeks and was recently demoted from his closer role.

The Diamondbacks’ hot stretch has allowed them to gain ground in both the Wild Card and NL West standings. They currently sit atop the Wild Card standings, tied with the Padres with a 63-52 record. Only 3.0 games separate them from the first-place Dodgers.

Needless to say, this weekend’s series in the desert could be a potential playoff preview. The Phillies remain the top seed in the NL after winning three of their last four games. The Diamondbacks are looking like a legitimate playoff team and contender right now. While there is still a long time between now and then, it’d be no surprise to see a postseason rematch between these two clubs.

Must-read Phillies content