The Philadelphia Phillies have the most wins in the majors as the team sits in first place in the National League East with a comfortable 10-game lead over the Atlanta Braves heading into Saturday night’s matchup. Despite the gut punch of losing both Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber to the injured list on the same day, the Phillies have kept up their winning ways.
Philadelphia has won five of seven games since the duo has been out of the lineup. And a big part of the team’s continued success is thanks to the play of shortstop Trea Turner. Over five games from June 30 through July 5, Turner is 11 for 23, adding four home runs, 10 RBI and eight runs scored.
However, when asked by Fox Sports MLB reporter Ken Rosenthal how the team keeps winning without some of its best players, Turner was quick to give all the credit to the Phillies' pitching staff. “Our pitching keeps us in it every game. Starters, bullpen, everybody up and down,” Turner explained.
Philadelphia’s pitching has been exceptional this year. The rotation, led by a standout season from Ranger Suarez, has been consistently great and the bullpen has been as reliable. Overall, the staff leads the majors in ERA, WAR and WPA (Win Probability Added) and is top-three in WHIP, strikeouts and K/9.
Of course, the Phillies possess an elite mix of pitching and hitting and Turner conceded, “The offense has been good enough to score enough runs to get those wins, so it’s been a team effort … we’ve got a good group.”
This group is indeed good. They’ve enjoyed incredible offensive production throughout the season despite missing players like Harper, Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and even Turner, who was out of the lineup for five weeks with a strained hamstring earlier this year. The Phillies' offense currently ranks top five in home runs, runs, RBI, steals, average, OBP, OPS and WAR.
Trea Turner speaks the truth about the Phillies winning despite injuries
With positive injury news about Harper and Schwarber, who are both expected to be back in the next week, and Realmuto likely to return after the All-Star break, the Phillies figure to be a tough out in the second half and into the postseason.
Rosenthal points out that Turner was able to return from his time on the injured list without going through a rehab assignment. When asked how he managed to get his timing at the plate back, the former batting champ made it sound easy. “Tried taking a lot of swings, tried doing a lot of different drills. I think that’s where some guys get lost just hitting BP every day, it’s the same thing over and over … I tried switching it up, doing a lot of different things and keeping myself ready, keeping my eyes ready and it’s paid off.”
Turner’s recent hot streak has his average up to .341 on the season with an OPS of .895 and a terrific OPS+ of 153. He’s also scored 43 runs in just 49 games this year and has swiped 11 bags with only one caught stealing.
The veteran’s play has earned him his third All-Star selection and his second start in the Mid-Summer Classic. Turner is one of three Phillies players selected to start in the 2024 All-Star game, along with Harper and third baseman Alec Bohm. It’s Harper’s eighth All-Star nod and the seventh time he’s been selected as a starter while Bohm, 27, will be making his first appearance in the exhibition.
The Phillies are likely to send even more players to the All-Star game considering how dominant their pitching staff has been in 2024. But pitchers and reserves have to wait until Sunday to find out if they’ve been selected to join the festivities at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on July 16.
Follow Us
Subscribe
