Philadelphia Phillies' losing streak hits 8 as offense falters again: 'We've got to find a way'

AL EastBlue JaysOriolesRaysRed SoxYankeesAL CentralGuardiansRoyalsTigersTwinsWhite SoxAL WestAngelsAstrosAthleticsMarinersRangersNL EastBravesMarlinsMetsNationalsPhilliesNL CentralBrewersCardinalsCubsPiratesRedsNL WestDiamondbacksDodgersGiantsPadresRockiesScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsThe Windup NewsletterFantasyMLB ProspectsMLB OddsMLB PicksPower RankingsFans Speak UpTop ProspectsAnalysisPhiladelphia Phillies’ losing streak hits 8 as offense falters again: ‘We’ve got to find a way’A switch to the leadoff spot didn't help Kyle Schwarber generate any offense. Patrick Gorski / Imagn Images Share articleCHICAGO — With the Philadelphia Phillies entering Wednesday as the losers of seven straight, manager Rob Thomson decided to change some things. Kyle Schwarber, who has not consistently batted leadoff since 2024, would do so against the Chicago Cubs. “Just to mix it up,” Thomson said. “Split those guys up a little bit. You got all those left-handers. Just trying to figure out a way to score some runs. I know we’re going to at some point, but trying to help the process a little bit.” Schwarber’s at-bats: a three-pitch strikeout, a full count ending in a groundout hit 95.8 mph off a fastball up in the middle of the zone, a double play hit 97.4 mph off a fastball, and a strikeout on four pitches. Schwarber and Bryce Harper, the star lefties hitting first and third, combined to go 0-for-8 with three strikeouts and three hard-hit balls between them in the Phillies’ 7-2 loss to the Cubs. It is something new every night for the Phillies, some combination of poor hitting or pitching or defense or their opponent’s defense amounting to a new nightmare each day. The homestand from hell has transitioned into the trip from hell, as the Phillies have now lost eight straight and are tied with the New York Mets for the worst record in the National League at 8-16. What has remained consistent amid it all is the offense’s inconsistency. The Phillies own the worst run differential in baseball by a double-digit margin. Before Wednesday’s game, hitting coach Kevin Long took in batting practice at Wrigley Field. He has watched as the Phillies have recorded 33 hard-hit balls this series, only 16 falling for hits. The club’s batting average on balls in play entering Wednesday’s game was .256, the second worst in baseball. It is not everything, but it is something, and it has been frustrating for the Phillies. “These guys want to do well,” Long said. “They work very hard at their craft. When things aren’t going their way, there’s some disappointment. But at the end of the day, it’s about what kind of at-bats can you put up, day in and day out, and hopefully (things) turn and some of these balls start falling.” The problems are everywhere, but perhaps it is easiest to point to the right-handed hitting woes. The club’s right-handed hitters entered Wednesday’s game collectively hitting .149 against lefties, 30 percentage points lower than the second-worst team. As a team, they are hitting .171 versus lefties. They are now 0-9 against lefty starters, with baseball’s worst BABIP (.199) against southpaws. There are a few things to point to. Alec Bohm, who is dealing with turmoil off the field, has seriously struggled. Adolis García, a bounce-back candidate in the outfield, is hitting .200 versus lefties. Edmundo Sosa was hitting .174 against lefties until Wednesday, when he hit a double and a single to boost that average to .240. Perhaps that is a sign of how quickly things can change — or of just how poorly everything has gone until now. To Long, the struggles partly come back to the lack of a lefty batting practice arm. The Phillies were without one until a few days ago, when Logan Mathieu joined the team. Long, who would typically throw lefty batting practice, had surgery last August and is still unable to throw. Bullpen coach Cesar Ramos and assistant pitching coach Mark Lowy throw lefty batting practice but can’t during games. Mathieu can. “We’ve just got to practice more against lefty arms and be more efficient,” Long said. The Phillies struck out 12 times Wednesday, but the at-bats against Cubs lefty starter Matthew Boyd showed some promise. Bohm made smart decisions in his first plate appearance, laying off pitches just outside the zone before sending a fastball 97.5 mph into right field. Sosa worked a seven-pitch at-bat before sending a double deep to left. Each game, there are little moments such as these that should be normal for a lineup this talented, but none have proven long term or significant enough to fuel the collective turnaround the Phillies are pushing for. It did not help to have Taijuan Walker, who now holds a 9.13 ERA, give up four earned runs in four innings. But the offense did not do enough to back him up. Trea Turner, who won the NL batting title last season, is now batting .235/.292/.347 with a .114/.225/.229 slash line against lefties. He doesn’t necessarily believe the team has a splits issue. “I think we can hit both,” Turner said. “I think we have the lineup to do it. We’re just not getting it done. We’ve faced some good lefty arms in (Chris) Sale, (Shota) Imanaga and (Matthew) Boyd, but we’re good enough to put runs up against those guys. We’ve got to find a way to make adjustments.” There will be a reprieve Thursday, starting a stretch in which the Phillies will face at least three consecutive righties. It likely won’t fix everything. It was against righty Colin Rea, who was aided by spectacular defense, that the Phillies mustered six hits and one run Monday. Everyone is puzzled, concerned, frustrated. The adjectives and cliches to describe this start have begun to run thin. There is little left to say until this team wins a game and produces on offense. Amid it all, the day to day continues. In the clubhouse before the game, a song played over the speakers: “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Now, with the playoff-hopeful Phillies sitting at 8-16, it feels a little too on the nose. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms