Is This Who They Are?

The Phillies welcomed in town the Milwaukee Brewers for a three-game set beginning Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park. Entering play the Phillies are riding a three-game winning streak. The Brewers come to town with a four-game winning streak. They are currently the first-place team in the NL Central. They hold a two-game lead over the Reds. The Phillies look to continue to push back into the wild card mix. Entering play on Tuesday the Phillies are just a half-game out of the wild card. They are 10.5 out of first place in the NL East.

Tuesday

Aaron Nola struck out six in 7 1/3 innings, and Kyle Schwarber homered. Moving the Phillies to a season-best 10 games over .500 with a 4-3 victory over the Brewers. Stott, Turner, and Bohm each had two hits to help the Phillies improve to 52-42 with their fourth consecutive victory.

wait til the end 🥹 #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/wSYmeJUnVZ

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 19, 2023

Monastero had two hits and drove in a run for the NL Central-leading Brewers. Milwaukee had won four in a row. Nola (9-6) retired the first 14 batters. The second out of the inning on Schwarber’s leaping catch against the left-field wall. This robbed Owen Miller of extra bases.

The Phillies gave Nola an early cushion with single runs off Teheran (2-4) in each of the first three innings. Schwarber led off by driving the first pitch over the wall in left for his career-best fourth straight game with a homer. It was the 26th dinger of the season for Schwarber, who has 26 career leadoff homers and six this year. Bohm’s RBI groundout in the second, and Nick Castellanos’ RBI single in the third made it 3-2.

After Milwaukee closed within a run. Stott hit an opposite-field, RBI single in the fifth to make it a two-run game. With Nola lifted after 98 pitches with one out in the eighth. The Brewers cut it to 4-3 on Christian Yelich’s groundout off Soto. Brewers RHP Colin Rea (5-4, 4.71) opposes Phillies LHP Christopher Sanchez (0-3, 3.26) on Wednesday night in the second contest of the three-game series.

Wednesday

The Brewers William Contreras hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning. The Brewers beat the Phillies 5-3 on Wednesday night for their fifth win in six games. Contreras had three hits and two RBI for the NL Central leaders, and Blake Perkins also drove in two runs. Five of Milwaukee’s 10 hits were doubles. Nicky Bats homered for the Phillies, whose four-game winning streak was stopped. Former Phillies pitcher Hoby Milner (2-0), Elvis Peguero, Joey Payamps, and Devin Williams each pitched an inning of scoreless relief. Combining for seven strikeouts and no walks.

still thinking about this catch#RingTheBell x @STIHLUSA pic.twitter.com/Iw63ci3JCt

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 19, 2023

Bryce Harper singled leading off the ninth and took third on Bryson Stott’s one-out single. Contreras threw out Stott trying to steal. And Williams struck out Alec Bohm for his 24th save in 26 chances. Brewers starter Colin Rea allowed three runs — two earned — and five hits in five innings. The Phillies Cristopher Sánchez gave up three runs — one earned — and six hits in five inningsBrewers RHP Corbin Burnes (8-5, 3.73) opposes Philadelphia RHP Taijuan Walker (11-3, 4.00) in the finale of the three-game series on Thursday.

Thursday

Corbin Burnes is having a great July and it’s helped the Brewers get back on top in the Central Division of the National League. Burnes allowed two hits and struck out 10 in eight innings Thursday as the Brewers concluded their six-game road trip with a 4-0 win over the Phillies.

Christian Yelich hit a three-run homer off the Phillies starter Taijuan Walker in the third inning that would give Burnes the cushion he would need. Yelich finished 3-for-4, finishing a triple short of his fourth career cycle.

Milwaukee went 5-1 on the trip through Cincinnati and Philadelphia- two teams that were hot heading into the All-Star Break. The Brewers began the unofficial second half of the season one-half game behind the Reds for the lead in the division and now lead them by 2 1/2 games.

Guess the new ingredient in this week's Daycare crime pic.twitter.com/0Kh2K69aOD

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 19, 2023

After struggling through June with a 1-1 record and a 4.99 ERA in five starts, Burnes has reverted to the form that saw him win the 2021 National League Cy Young Award. He is 4-0 for the month with a 1.33 ERA and has allowed eight hits combined while striking out 36.

The Phillies lineup didn’t get a runner to second base until Nicky Bats advanced on a Bryce Harper groundout with one out in the seventh. Burnes stayed in the strike zone, throwing 70 strikes out of 100 pitches while leaving the Phillies hitters often off-balance with his cut fastball and curveball.

Walker (11-4) went six innings, allowing six hits and four runs in his first loss since June 1 against the Mets. Castellanos and Stott were the only two Phillies to get a hit. Thomson said before Thursday’s game that Bryce Harper remains a possibility to make his season debut at first base for the Phillies this weekend in Cleveland.

Looking Back

The first base question follows a bizarre night Wednesday when Harper didn’t take the bat off his shoulder of Brewers lefthander Hoby Milner in the sixth inning. The scene went viral and raised questions about Harper’s approach.  Phillies: Head to Cleveland for a three-game set against the Guardians. LHP Ranger Suarez (2-4, 3.84 ERA) will face Guardians RHP Gavin Williams (1-2, 3.94 ERA).

With the trade deadline looming and the inconsistencies on full display you must ask yourself two questions. What direction does this team go at the deadline and is this who they are?