Well the Phillies got smoked yesterday, nothing else to it really. Former Phillie and Pirate and overall Pennsylvania legend Andrew McCutchen broke the game open with a three run homer that gave the Rangers a 5-0 lead in the fourth and at that point the game was pretty much over. Jesús Luzardo looked rough in his first start as he allowed six runs in six innings of work. While the pitching wasn't great, the Phillies' offense has not been too great to start the year either. It hasn't been terrible but it's been average at best. They've failed to score more than five runs at all so far in 2026. It's only been three games but still, it cost them this first series.
A lot of fans were hoping that the Phillies could start the year off strong and be 3-0 but they're unfortunately 1-2. Of course it's typically pretty silly to consider their record while they're literally still in March but hey, the year can go by quick and playoff races can get tight come September.
Tonight the Phillies remain at home to face the Washington Nationals. The Nationals are usually pretty scrappy against the Phillies but overall the Phils have done well against them in recent years, as have most teams. Since winning the World Series in 2019, the Nationals have not been close to even being a .500 ball club. Still, they've been slowly building their roster and it's possible they'll be more competitive this year. They just won their first series out in Chicago against a Cubs team that many have high hopes for in 2026.
Hopefully the Phillies can bounce back though and get off to a good start in the NL East!
