MLB-best Phillies Eye Series Win Over A’s Before Break

The Philadelphia Phillies are looking to hit a season-high 30 games over .500 on Sunday as they host the Oakland Athletics in their final game before the All-Star break. After a 6-2 loss to the A’s in the series opener on Friday, the Phillies bounced back with a bang on Saturday, smashing four homers in an 11-5 victory. Nick Castellanos and Trea Turner each hit a two-run shot, while Bryce Harper and Johan Rojas also went deep, helping Philadelphia win four of their last five games.

Recent Performance and Highlights

“We got it going early and kept it going,” said Harper, who has now homered against all 30 major league teams. Turner has been on fire, hitting seven homers in the last 11 games. Since coming back from a hamstring strain on June 17, he has recorded at least one hit in 19 of 23 games.

Philadelphia’s Orion Kerkering (2-1, 1.30 ERA) will be the opener on Sunday, with right-hander Michael Mercado expected to handle most of the innings. The Phillies had to go with a bullpen game because Zack Wheeler’s turn was skipped in the rotation due to lower back spasms. Wheeler, along with left-hander Ranger Suarez, will not participate in the upcoming All-Star Game.

Pitching Matchup and Strategy

“It’s not anything major, but he’s got tightness in his back,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said about Suarez. “It hurts him not just because his back hurts, but also because he wanted to pitch in the All-Star Game. However, he doesn’t think it’s the best thing to do right now. He wants to be ready for the second half of the season.”

Left-hander Cristopher Sanchez was added to the National League All-Star roster on Saturday, replacing Atlanta Braves veteran Chris Sale. Kerkering, 23, allowed two hits and struck out two in two-thirds of an inning on Saturday, marking his first career appearance against Oakland.

Athletics’ Performance and Player Highlights

The Phillies’ pitching staff has had trouble containing Brent Rooker, who followed up a 2-for-5 performance in the series opener by homering among his three hits on Saturday. “He’s been locked in,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said of Rooker, who is 18-for-39 (.462) with four homers, 10 RBIs, and 13 runs in July.

Delaware native Zack Gelof hit his eighth homer since June 2 in the third inning on Saturday, and promptly received a chorus of boos from the Philly fans. “Hitting a home run was pretty cool,” said Gelof, who grew up rooting for the Phillies. “The place was rocking. Hearing the boos was pretty cool, too. It means you’re doing something right.”

Pitching Matchup for the Athletics

Oakland right-hander Joey Estes (3-4, 5.53 ERA) will look to bounce back from a disastrous outing when he takes the mound on Sunday. Estes allowed eight runs on seven hits in a career-low 1 2/3 innings during a 12-9 loss at the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. That brutal outing followed a stellar performance in which he scattered five hits in a 5-0 shutout of the Los Angeles Angels on July 3. Estes, 22, will face the Phillies for the first time in his career.

Conclusion

The Phillies are aiming to secure a series win against the Athletics and reach a season-high 30 games over .500 before the All-Star break. With Orion Kerkering starting and Joey Estes pitching for Oakland, fans can expect an exciting and competitive matchup. Both teams are making strategic changes to their lineups and bullpens, adding to the intrigue of this crucial game.