MLB Series of the Week: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Baltimore Orioles

From June 14 to 16, the best team in the American League last regular season and the National League runner-up will face off at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore for the first time since 2018.

Plenty of strong pitching is to be expected in this series, as three starting pitchers who rank in the top five of ERA in their respective leagues are scheduled to throw in this matchup.

Philadelphia Phillies (45-20, first in the NL East)

The Phillies’ last week was eventful, as they swept a three-game home set against the Milwaukee Brewers in Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins’ return to his old ballpark and split a two-game set against the New York Mets in London, England.

The Phillies lead the National League in ERA at 2.93 and their starting rotation has played a key role in propelling them to such a start.

Ranger Suárez leads the majors with 10 wins and Zack Wheeler is only one of 12 pitchers to throw at least 80 innings this season.

In the bullpen, left-hander Matt Strahm has not given up an earned run in 26 straight appearances and right-hander Jeff Hoffman leads the Phillies in holds with nine, but left-hander Jose Alvarado has blown two saves in his last four attempts.

Offensively, Bryce Harper is having another outstanding year, leading all major league first basemen with a .532 slugging percentage and a .920 OPS, and Alec Bohm has a good chance to earn his first All-Star nod with a team-leading .291 batting average and a .815 OPS to lead all third basemen in the league.

In the outfield, the Phillies received a spark after Brandon Marsh went on the injured list with a right hamstring strain by former All-Star David Dahl, who hit two home runs in the three games he played last week.

The Phillies will play three games in Boston against the Red Sox before heading to Baltimore for the weekend.

Baltimore Orioles (42-22, second in the AL East)

The Orioles are coming off a week in which they split a four-game set in Toronto against the Blue Jays and took the first three of four against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg with a chance to sweep on Monday.

The Orioles hit 18 home runs between the Toronto and Tampa Bay series, leading the majors by six over the past week.

Baltimore is led offensively by shortstop Gunnar Henderson, an American League MVP candidate who ranks second in the majors with 20 home runs and 4.4 WAR and fifth with a .583 slugging percentage and a .954 OPS.

Anthony Santander, whom the Orioles play at several positions, tied for the major league lead with four home runs last week, bringing his total up to 14 for the year.

Catcher Adley Rutschman and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle each homered three times last week to build on their solid seasons and Jordan Westburg has All-Star potential with 2.5 WAR which ranks third among all major league third basemen.

In the rotation, Corbin Burnes has been everything Baltimore has asked for when they acquired him from the Brewers this past offseason, as he is fifth in the league with a 2.26 ERA and has 10 quality starts, which is tied for second in the league.

Elsewhere, Grayson Rodriguez is showing the potential that made him a 2018 first-round pick, as he leads the Orioles in wins.

The Orioles’ bullpen has been shaky, as only right-hander Jacob Webb has an ERA less than 2.0 among Baltimore’s regular relievers and the group leads the league with 12 blown saves.

After finishing their series against the Rays, the Orioles will host the Atlanta Braves for three games before the Phillies come to town.

Projected Starters (per ESPN)

Game 1 (June 14, 7:05 p.m. EST): LHP Ranger Suárez (10-1, 1.81 ERA) vs. RHP Grayson Rodriguez (7-2, 3.27 ERA)

Game 2 (June 15, 4:05 p.m.): RHP Taijuan Walker (3-1, 5.40) vs. RHP Corbin Burnes (6-2, 2.26)

Game 3 (June 16, 1:35 p.m., ESPN+): RHP Zack Wheeler (7-3, 2.23) vs. TBA

All stats and records are as of before the games on June 10, 2024.

Owen Klein is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ojk5092@psu.edu.