The Philadelphia Phillies have been making waves in the baseball world, consistently holding their ground among the sport's elite. Their roster, packed with star power, has mostly delivered on its promise, despite a rocky 9-19 start to the 2026 season. The veterans have been the backbone of this team, and lately, there's been a collective effort across the board that's sparked an impressive turnaround.
Yet, there's a persistent challenge that’s been haunting the Phillies since the start of the 2025 season: their struggles on getaway days during road trips. It's a peculiar issue, one that has seen their offense vanish just when they’re about to head back home. This trend began in 2025 and has only intensified in 2026.
In the first half of the 2025 season, the Phillies faced nine road trip finales. They managed to scrape together just 18 runs across those games but still emerged with a 5-4 record.
The second half of the season told a different story. Out of five such games, they scored 20 runs, with 11 coming in a single outburst against the Washington Nationals on August 17, 2025, resulting in a 1-4 record.
Fast forward to 2026, and the Phillies have already encountered six getaway games, with this upcoming clash against the New York Mets marking the seventh. Their offensive output has been bleak, tallying only 10 runs in those six games.
Notably, six of those runs were scored in one game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 17. The record in these games stands at 2-4, with three shutouts-two losses and one narrow 1-0 victory over the Miami Marlins.
Given their recent struggles at Citi Field, this matchup against the Mets seems fraught with challenges. However, there's a silver lining: Cionel Perez, the Mets' opener, has a history of being hit well by Phillies' stars like Alec Bohm, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper. This is the perfect opportunity for the Phillies to break the getaway day curse.
Dropping a series to a struggling Mets team would be a setback, especially with the positive momentum Philadelphia has been building. The Phillies need to capitalize on this part of their schedule to keep the pressure on the Atlanta Braves. It's all about seizing the moment and turning their fortunes around on these pivotal road trip finales.
In Other News...
Mets Suddenly Have A Tough Kodai Senga Decision To Make
Kodai Sengas first career relief appearance gave the Mets something they have not had to weigh before, and it came in the middle of a bullpen game against the Phillies. Asked to help cover five innings, Senga did enough to keep the club in the game while showing the kind of stuff that still makes him one of the most intriguing arms on the staff, even in an unfamiliar role.
Afterward, interim manager Andy Green was encouraged by what he saw, pointing to the forkball as a weapon that played well and noting the fastball had life. Senga, for his part, made clear he still sees a path back to the rotation if he can throw strikes more consistently, which leaves the Mets with a real decision on their hands as they sort out how best to use him next. [Read more 🡒]
A Familiar Name Is Already Hovering Over The Mets Search
Even with the Mets managerial search still a ways off, a familiar name is already circling the conversation. David Ross, who managed the Cubs from 2020 to 2023 and now works for ESPN, said he would welcome the chance to be considered for the job, putting himself on the radar before the club even officially opens its next search.
Ross has the kind of background that keeps him in the mix whenever a big-market opening appears, and he spoke from the perspective of someone who has already lived through the demands of the role. With Carlos Mendoza gone and Andy Green handling the dugout on an interim basis, the Mets are not in a hurry to make the next move, but the list of potential candidates is already beginning to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Eric Chavez Just Put David Stearns On Blast Over One Mets Flaw
Eric Chavezs post-Mets reflections have turned into a pointed critique of the way the club was run from the top down, with the former hitting coach using his podcast to revisit the split after the 2025 season. His comments centered on a familiar baseball fault line, the gap between what leadership wants at the plate and what the people in the dugout believe actually works, and he made clear he felt there was a disconnect that went beyond one bad run of offense.
For the Mets, the timing of Chavezs remarks matters because they land at a moment when David Stearns is still shaping the organizations identity and trying to prove the messaging matches the results. Chavezs version of events suggests the relationship never fully found common ground, and his frustration adds another layer to a season already defined by questions about communication, trust and whether the clubs hitting approach was ever fully aligned from manager to front office. [Read more 🡒]