Maybe some time at home was all these Phillies needed.
First, a team that had been spiraling took two of three from the first-place Chicago Cubs to begin the week. Even more impressively, they spent their weekend sweeping the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays, with three straight dazzling performances from their starting pitchers leading the way.
Ranger Suárez's tremendous season continued in Friday night's series opener, as he tossed seven scoreless in an 8-0 win. Cristopher Sánchez went the same distance the following afternoon, and Max Kepler's go-ahead home run in the eighth inning was the difference in a 3-2 victory. Then Zack Wheeler took the ball for the series finale and did what he always does, dominating Blue Jays hitters as the Phillies won 11-4 and completed the sweep. He had plenty of run support from the outset, but a Nick Castellanos grand slam in the sixth inning put the game away for good.
From brilliance on the mound to improving results at the plate and a noteworthy return, here is what stood out from the Phillies' impressive sweep of the Blue Jays:
Tremendous starting pitching powers Phillies all series long
Phillies manager Rob Thomson was asked after Thursday's game if it provides him personal relief to have such good starting pitching on a consistent basis.
"Yes," Thomson quickly responded before cracking a smile. "It's great."
And the performances of Suárez, Sánchez and Wheeler this weekend were just that.
Suárez's brilliance on Friday was vintage: he did not have particularly good stuff, but used deception and pinpoint command to keep Blue Jays hitters on their toes all night long. After a difficult debut outing, Suárez has been absolutely dominant in 2025:
After a rough season debut, Ranger Suárez has been lights out:
• 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER
• 7.0 IP, 6 H. 3 ER
• 6.2 IP, 6 H, 0 ER
• 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER
• 6.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER
• 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER
• 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER
1.17 ERA in 46.2 innings across these seven starts.— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) June 14, 2025
Suárez's velocity was actually a tick or two down for much of his outing on Friday. For many pitchers, that would be a major cause for concern. But Thomson rightfully did not pay it much mind.
Sánchez was similarly stellar on Saturday, scattering five hits across his seven strong innings of work and issuing no free passes. Sánchez did enough to earn a win, but when Orion Kerkering entered in the top of the eighth, it was a 2-2 game. Both Blue Jays runs to that point had been charged to Sánchez's line, but could have been prevented with crisper defense. The first run scored after Ernie Clement reached base with a double when Nick Castellanos missed a catchable ball at the wall; the second scored when Bo Bichette beat out a potential inning-ending double play after Trea Turner made a poor flip to Bryson Stott at second base.
As he deserves, Wheeler got the last word on Sunday. Aided by multiple early offensive rallies — the Phillies posted their first run two pitches into the bottom of the first inning when Turner doubled and Kyle Schwarber singled, both on 0-0 pitches — he got to cruise for once. The results were more or less what they always are for Wheeler, who remains the ultimate symbol of consistent excellence: 6.0 innings pitched, four hits, two runs (one earned), nine strikeouts and no walks on 94 pitches (61 strikes). It appeared he would have at least started the seventh inning on the mound had Castellanos not put the game away with his slam.
The Phillies are a noticeably flawed team. Even as it surges in recent days, this offense has too many holes. The bullpen lacks depth and its high-leverage arms have been prone to blow-ups. But it is just impossible to not be a good team with the quality of starting pitching they have.
Jeff Hoffman returns to Philadelphia
While former Phillies All-Star reliever Jeff Hoffman faced his former team for the first time last week in Toronto, this weekend set represented Hoffman's first chance to visit the ballpark where he blossomed into a high-leverage weapon in 2023 and 2024. The Phillies played a tribute video for Hoffman early on in Friday's game; he tipped his cap to the crowd from the visitors' dugout.
Before the series began, Hoffman spoke with reporters in the same dugout and was asked how he would handle his emotions during the inevitable ovation.
"I'll do my best to keep them in check, but no promises," Hoffman said.
Hoffman, whose career was spiraling before the Phillies signed him to a minor-league deal and gave him a chance to rejoin the majors eventually, expressed gratitude for what the organization did to enable his ascent. In two years, Hoffman went from on his way out of the majors to inking a three-year, $33 million deal with the Blue Jays, the team that drafted him in the first round back in 2014.
While Hoffman said he remains in consistent contact with many of his former teammates — and just saw many of them in Toronto — he took Thursday's off day in the city to go out to eat with some of them. Hoffman acknowledged his disappointment that the team did not win a World Series during his time with the organization, but focused on how much the opportunity he was given in Philadelphia — and the energy of the ballpark — meant to him while he was with the Phillies.
"This place does something special to each guy that puts on a Phillies uniform," Hoffman said.
Odds and ends
Some other notes from this set:
• Aaron Nola spoke to the media before Friday's game, his first availability since being diagnosed with a stress reaction in his rib which will further delay his return from the injured list. However, Nola said he has a stress fracture, not a stress reaction. On the bright side, the ankle injury which caused him to land on the shelf in the first place appears to be in the rearview mirror.
• Thomson has loved Kepler's at-bats of late, and he indicated that the veteran outfielder is clearly doing well when he is consistently hitting the ball in the air. Saturday's eventual game-winning blast was an example:
The @Phillies have the lead!
Max Kepler's solo shot puts Philly in front in the 8th pic.twitter.com/10twLGSSID— MLB (@MLB) June 14, 2025
• Alec Bohm has found a groove offensively, and he slugged a rare no-doubter homer in the fifth inning on Sunday, with an accompanying bat flip:
Alec Bohm sends one deeeeeeeep to left to extend the @Phillies lead 🔔 pic.twitter.com/InUaMXVPac
— MLB (@MLB) June 15, 2025
With Bryce Harper (wrist) still on the injured list and without a timeline to return, Bohm getting hot and sustaining it would be a boon for the Phillies as they pack their bags and hit the road.
Up next: With a six-game stretch in their home ballpark complete, the Phillies will head to Miami for a four-game series against the Marlins beginning on Monday night.
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