The right-handed bat
Trea Turner’s current hot streak could represent an important shift for the Phillies’ offense.
Over his last 14 games, he’s gone 21-for-60 for a .350 average, with four doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs, and a .948 OPS. Those three homers have all arrived in the past three contests. His production provides a much-needed lift for a lineup whose right-handed hitters have struggled considerably this season, sitting dead last in the majors with a .612 OPS.
“I’m not missing mistakes,” Turner remarked. “I feel like I’m getting into some better counts. I feel like I’m driving offspeed pitches a little better. And then just using the whole field, really. I just feel good again.”
Turner illustrated his point after Wednesday’s 10-6 victory over Pittsburgh. He popped out in the first frame against Pirates ace Paul Skenes, then went deep in the second.
“Today, I kind of abandoned the leg kick after the first at-bat,” he explained. “I felt like I was flying open a little bit and made a good adjustment and got some hits there. I feel like the last three, four weeks have been pretty solid.”
Trea Turner on homer, Phillies win
Jul 2, 2026 · 2:05
Trea Turner on homer, Phillies win
He credited his improved two-strike approach for that comfort.
“I haven’t done that in a little while, because I feel like my two-strike swing hasn’t been the best at the beginning of the year,” he said of his in-game tweaks. “I would do that [abandon his leg kick] sometimes in Washington and L.A., where my leg kick will feel bad for whatever reason. I just kind of go to the no-stride, so I do it for a short time. I don’t want to do it all the time, but you know, today I felt like I needed it.”
Nola’s struggles
Back in February, Aaron Nola voiced optimism about a potential bounce-back season.
That hasn’t materialized, of course. He’s 3-5 with a 6.04 ERA across 17 starts, and owns a 6.02 ERA over 34 starts spanning the last two seasons.
During spring training in Clearwater, Fla., Nola was asked whether he’d considered adding a new pitch to his arsenal, as Zack Wheeler and Jesús Luzardo had done in recent years. Nola replied that he had not.
“I can make my curveball into a sweeper,” he said. “I can make it go left a little bit more because of my arm angle. It just depends on if I use my thumb on it a little bit more. The more thumb I use, the more depth-y it gets. I’ve been grateful to stay healthy for a little while. The last thing I want to do is tinker with another pitch. I know it’s not a for-sure thing [that a pitcher will get hurt] throwing a new pitch. A lot of guys don’t. I just want to crisp up my pitches.”
Yet Nola threw four sliders on June 13 in Milwaukee, and has tossed 11 sliders across three starts since.
That constitutes a new offering, signaling that Nola recognizes the need to attempt something different in order to become even marginally more effective on the mound.
“I feel like I throw so many curveballs,” Nola said. “I feel like we saw it [Monday night]. If one pops [out of his hand], usually it gets barreled.”
Nola has swapped out his cutter for a slider. It seems a prudent move opponents had battered the cutter for a .419 average and .645 slugging percentage. In a very limited sample, they’re 0-for-4 against the slider.
“Just to try to give [hitters] another look,” catcher J.T. Realmuto said. “Just gives you another pitch to work with, maybe something to get them to think about a little bit. It’s been pretty good for him. He’s mixed it in. He’s not using it a ton yet, but he seems pretty comfortable with it. There’s certain guys that he’ll use it on, and so far it’s been a good change of pace.”
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