Field Level Media
10 Apr 2026, 17:10 GMT+10
(Photo credit: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The Philadelphia Phillies will pit their cold bats against one of the hottest starting pitchers in the league Friday night when they host Michael Soroka and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Phillies have not scored a run in their last 20 innings, and they enter a three-game series on the heels of back-to-back shutouts in San Francisco.
Philadelphia managed only four hits in Tuesday's 6-0 defeat to the Giants before matching that figure in Wednesday's 5-0 setback.
'I think they're trying to do too much,' Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of his veteran ballclub. 'No doubt. They're frustrated. We're just going through one of those times. We'll come out of it.'
Among the Philadelphia players struggling on the young season are Kyle Schwarber (.195), Alec Bohm (.186) and Bryson Stott (.167).
Schwarber, the National League MVP runner-up a season ago, has struck out 19 times in 41 at-bats.
'I think we have a good track record of playing really good baseball,' catcher J.T. Realmuto said. 'Obviously, right now that's not what we're doing, but we know that we're just one good swing away from the whole team taking off. We've just got to keep working, keep being diligent. We don't like to struggle, but there's nobody in this room panicking. That's for sure.'
The situation won't get any easier for the Phillies when they face Soroka (2-0, 0.90 ERA), who has won his first two starts for Arizona while yielding only one run over 10 innings. In his last outing, the right-hander gave up one run in five frames in a 2-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
'I competed as well as I could've hoped,' said Soroka, who worked around four hits and three walks. 'You're not going to have everything working on every day. ... I worked behind (in the count) a lot today, and that's going to be something to look at going forward.'Soroka has made four lifetime starts against Philadelphia, going 1-1 with a 5.68 ERA.
He will oppose Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo (1-1, 4.97 ERA), who will make his sixth career start against the Diamondbacks. He is 2-1 with a 4.70 ERA against them.
Luzardo allowed six runs in six innings against the Texas Rangers in his season debut on March 29 but was much better Saturday against Colorado. He held the Rockies to one run in 6 2/3 innings, striking out 11 with no walks in a 2-1 triumph.
'I felt good, just like last time,' Luzardo said. 'I did a better job of limiting hard contact, keeping the ball in the field.'
Luzardo could catch a break Friday if Corbin Carroll (hip flexor) misses a second straight game. He sat out Thursday's game vs. the New York Mets, but it appeared to be largely precautionary as Arizona manager Torey Lovullo called his concern level 'very minimal.'
Without Carroll, the Diamondbacks posted a 7-1 victory Thursday behind four runs in the seventh inning and three in the eighth. Gabriel Moreno delivered a run-scoring hit in both of those innings.
'You talk about team ability -- they came together, they play together,' Lovullo said. 'It was one guy after another. It wasn't the same guy throughout the course of the evening. That was a great team win - and that's what makes it so special.'
The Phillies and Diamondbacks split six meetings in 2025. This will be their first matchup this season.
--Field Level Media
Get a daily dose of Wisconsin Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Wisconsin Star.
More InformationThe Arab-American Civil Rights League (ACRL) has issued a fiery condemnation of this week's Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, alleging...
LOS ANGELES, California: Jasveen Sangha, better known as the woman who sold actor Matthew Perry the ketamine that killed him in 2023,...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not appear for a scheduled deposition next week before a House committee investigating...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: The ceasefire in the war in Iran staggered on April 9 under the weight of Israel's bombardment of Beirut, Tehran's continued...
ATHENS, Greece: Greece will introduce a nationwide ban on social media use for children under 15 from 2027, as the government moves...
JERUSALEM, Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel backed the U.S. ceasefire with Iran, but tnsisted it...
(Photo credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images) The Los Angeles Angels and host Cincinnati Reds will look for a spark to ignite their offenses...
(Photo credit: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) The Philadelphia Phillies will pit their cold bats...
(Photo credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images) The Detroit Tigers have been one of the worst teams in the majors over their first 13...
(Photo credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images) Dylan Guenther and Nick Schmaltz each had a goal and an assist for the Utah Mammoth, who clinched...
(Photo credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images) Dylan Guenther and Nick Schmaltz each had a goal and an assist for the Utah Mammoth, who clinched...
(Photo credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images) Xander Bogaerts belted a grand slam in the bottom of the 12th inning Thursday night as the...
