Nathan Ackerman

5 days ago | philliesnation.com | Nathan Ackerman

Zack Wheeler did not have his very best stuff his last couple outings, and while it’s easy to blow early-season trends out of proportion, it’s hard to ever get too concerned about him. Wheeler demonstrated why on Friday, punching out 13 Marlins in seven innings of two-run ball to lead the Phillies to a painless 7-2 series-opening win. The baker’s dozen strikeout total was one shy of Wheeler’s career high and his most since he set down 14 on May 29, 2021, his 22nd start with the Phillies.

6 days ago | philliesnation.com | Nathan Ackerman

Cristopher Sánchez recorded the final out of the fourth inning on Thursday against the Giants and flexed his arms in celebration. It was not a big spot: The bases were empty, the count 0-2, the Phillies leading by four. But it was the end of a ridiculous inning. Sánchez struck out that side in that fourth frame for his sixth, seventh and eighth punchouts of the game. All eight of those came on changeups. In the fourth inning, he threw 11 pitches. Eight of them were changeups.

1 week ago | philliesnation.com | Nathan Ackerman

The Phillies will take runs however they can get them right now, and so they can thank the elements, somewhat, for doing their part on Tuesday night. A few big hits, some of which Citizens Bank Park’s swirling gusts helped produce, provided a jolt for a slumping offense whose six runs amounted to a series-tying victory over the Giants. But the biggest hit of the night was not aided by the weather, and it was a huge one both for team and for individual.

2 weeks ago | philliesnation.com | Nathan Ackerman

It’s late enough in the season that we can start reading into numbers a bit, so here are a few: Nick Castellanos is hitting .308 with a .538 slugging percentage. Good. The underlying metrics are even better: He’s struck out as often (9.3% of the time) as he’s walked. Both figures would be, by far, the best of his career. His chase rate is 29.9. That would also be the best. It’s 11 games, and despite the first sentence above, that’s not a lot.

2 weeks ago | philliesnation.com | Nathan Ackerman

Final score: Phillies 4, Braves 3Much has been and will be made of the Phillies’ younger position players’ performance — or lack thereof — early this season, and it matters. But the Phillies are built around their stars. To go where they want, they’ll need those stars to take them. Wednesday was an example. Bryce Harper battled back from an early 0-2 hole to flip the game on its head with a two-run homer in the seventh.