The Phillies are building wins without leaning on the same old formula, and that’s what makes this stretch feel different.
For years, this club lived and died by the long ball. Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins could turn a night into a highlight reel in a hurry, but that kind of approach leaves little room for anything else. The 2026 Phillies, with Don Mattingly now steering the ship, have been winning in a much broader way as they push toward Red October.
Saturday night’s extra-inning win over the Angels pushed the Phillies to 16 games over .500 for the first time this season. It also fit the pattern that has defined the last two months: this team is not waiting around for home runs to bail it out. In fact, the Phillies are hitting the fewest home runs they have in this era of Phillies baseball, yet the results keep coming.
Trea Turner delivered the kind of hit that sums up the moment. His 56.6 mph single in the 10th inning traveled 75 feet before touching down, but it still sparked a two-run inning and gave the Phillies the breathing room they needed. That’s been the story lately - slap singles, smart at-bats, careful approaches, bunting, all of it adding up.
And maybe most important, the Phillies no longer look like a team that assumes the night is over if they’re behind late. That wasn’t always the case.
A few years ago, if they were trailing going into the ninth on the West Coast, the game might as well have been finished. Now, they carry themselves like they can win from anywhere.
Friday night was another example. Edmundo Sosa’s grand slam marked the Phillies’ fourth go-ahead home run with two outs in the ninth inning this season, according to Jayson Stark. No other team in baseball has even hit three.
Mattingly’s emphasis on “having a plan” at the plate seems to have landed. Maybe that should have been the approach from the start, but something has clearly clicked.
Seven Phillies are carrying an OPS of .772 or better in August. Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott have stayed hot, and that has remained central to the offense.
Bryan De La Cruz and Justin Crawford have also been giving the team a real boost every time they step on the field.
The pitching side is lining up, too. Cristopher Sanchez had been struggling over the past month and a half, but he turned in a gem Saturday, throwing seven shutout innings while allowing two hits, one walk and striking out nine. Jhoan Duran also worked two innings for the first time since becoming a Phillie.
With a month left before postseason baseball begins, the pieces are coming together. The Phillies look like a team without an obvious hole, which is not something you usually hear heading into September.
Whether it’s the stars, the rookies or the players in between, they keep finding ways to win. And after four postseasons built around one primary path, that makes this group a dangerous one once October arrives.
In Other News...
Phillies May Have Found An In-House Bullpen Answer After All
The Phillies have spent plenty of time searching for dependable relief help, and Alex McFarlane has given them a reason to think they may have one waiting inside the organization. Promoted to the major league bullpen, the top prospect has settled in quickly and looks like a live arm the staff can trust in meaningful spots, which is no small thing for a club that has been looking for stability late in games.
McFarlanes latest outing only added to the buzz. He needed just three pitches to strike out Mike Trout, with fastballs that topped 100 mph, the kind of moment that tends to travel fast around a clubhouse and a fan base. Through eight appearances this season, he has a 4-1 record and a 1.08 ERA, and while the Phillies are still learning exactly how high his ceiling might be, he has already made a strong case that he belongs in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Suddenly Have A Short Window To Solve A Lineup Need
The waiver wire has put a familiar kind of late-season pressure on the Phillies, who are looking at a short window to see whether a right-handed outfield upgrade might be available without the usual August trade-market cost. Luis Robert Jr. has surfaced after a stretch in which injuries and uneven production had clouded his value, but his recent offensive bounce has made him more intriguing again, and Philadelphia is among the teams reportedly considering a claim.
For a club trying to fine-tune the roster for the playoff stretch run, the appeal is obvious: a potential impact bat on the right side who could deepen the lineup without requiring a bigger deal. But the clock is tight, and with only 48 hours for teams to decide whether to step in and take on the contract, the Phillies have to weigh fit, cost and urgency all at once before the opportunity disappears. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Need Zack Wheeler To Find His Fix Fast
The Phillies have settled in enough lately to keep themselves within striking distance of the Braves in the National League East, and that makes every turn through the rotation feel a little more important. For much of the season, Zack Wheeler has been the arm they trust most when they need to steady things, which is why his recent stretch has stood out so sharply against the backdrop of the clubs improved play.
Over his last six starts, Wheeler has not looked like the version of himself that usually gives Philadelphia a chance to exhale, with home runs and walks becoming part of the problem. The good news for the Phillies is that this does not appear to be a case of a pitcher simply drifting, as Wheeler and pitching coach Caleb Cotham believe the fix is tied to mechanical adjustments. The question now is how quickly he can make those corrections stick, because the standings no longer leave much room for a prolonged search. [Read more 🡒]