Round one goes to the Mets, clobbering the Phillies in Monday's opener of a crucial three-game series between the two clubs vying for first in the National League East. On Episode 1003 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Justin Klugh from Baseball Prospectus and SABR's Liz Roscher chat about a brutal night at Citi Field, the Phils' own personal House of Horrors over the last three seasons. The offense blew scoring chances early, Cristopher Sanchez couldn't hold a lead, the defense was brutal, and yes, Jordan Romano entered the festivities. What does it mean for the rest of the week? How vital is at least one win from the Mets by Wednesday? Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and Initial Reactions 02:43 - Game Overview and Key Moments 05:42 - Phillies' Performance and Missed Opportunities 08:44 - Historical Struggles at Citi Field 11:30 - Emotional Impact of Rivalry Games 14:41 - Pitching Decisions and Game Management 17:40 - Conclusion and Future Outlook 24:52 - Game Analysis and Player Performance 27:36 - Struggles Against Rival Bullpens 30:09 - Frustrations of Phillies Fans 35:18 - Bryce Harper's Rivalry Pack 43:11 - Karma and Performance Metrics 46:27 - The Impact of Zach Wheeler's Injury 48:45 - Rallying for Wheeler 52:05 - The Depth of the Phillies' Rotation 55:24 - Final Thoughts on the Season

Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about the Phillies' swiftly expanding lead in the NL East, Bryson Stott and Max Kepler's newfound success at the plate, and a new twist in the Phillies' potential future at the catching position.

Was it the best Phillies series of the Rob Thomson era? The Phils made some history in their three-game sweep of the Mariners at Citizens Bank Park this week, with hitting and pitching heroes galore. John Stolnis of The Good Phight is joined by sports radio legend Jody McDonald of 94 WIP and the Infinity Sports Network to break down the Seattle series, as well as MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's discussion of radical league-wide realignment once expansion takes place.

The Phillies had a harrowing weekend in Washington, DC. They lost their ace, Zack Wheeler, potentially for the season. Aaron Nola got shelled in his first game back in three months. The offense was inconsistent. We all though Jhoan Duran was dead for a few minutes there. And yet, the Phils split their weekend series and went 6-4 on their 10-game road trip. On Episode 1000!!! of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher spend the first half of the show allowing their dark thoughts to manifest before turning things over to the light for an optimistic look at the first place Phillies.

Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about how Nick Castellanos' struggles are at this point just a part of the Phillies offense, Aaron Nola's return to the rotation, the Phillies' head-shaking loss to the Nationals on Thursday, and Matt Strahm's Pokemon cards.

The Phillies lost the final two games in Cincinnati as the offense scored in just 2 of the 27 innings played against the Reds this week. But resist the urge to freak out! On Episode 998 of Hittin' Season, powered by WHYY, John Stolnis of The Good Phight looks at the disappearance of the offense and some concerns about Ranger Suarez' velocity drop. Also, John is joined by his 14-year-old son Ethan, a die-hard Nationals fan, to help preview this weekend's four-game series in Washington.

After another late inning win over the Reds Monday night, the Phillies roll continues with contributions up and down the lineup and from the most pleasant surprise of the season - Taijuan Walker. On Episode 997 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Liz Roscher of SABR's Baseball Research Journal discuss the weekend sweep of the Rangers, the remarkable turnaround of the Jhoan Duran-led bullpen, Zack Wheeler's velocity drop and the freefalling Mets.

Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about Zack Wheeler's shoulder scare, what some old friends can add to the Phillies as they return, and what lies ahead for the Phillies on their road trip that starts in Texas against the Rangers.

When will the Phillies call up stud prospects Andrew Painter and/or Justin Crawford? On this episode of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight chats with The Morning Call's Tom Housenick about the progress of Painter and Crawford and gives an update on Aaron Nola's rehab and David Robertson's progress to the big leagues. Also, the Phils take two out of three from Baltimore but fail to sweep. John is done piling on Max Kepler, and throws some flowers at Taijuan Walker as well. 00:00 - Show Introduction 02:14 - The Phillies Are Having Trouble Sweeping Teams 08:50 - Max Kepler's Last Gasp, John's Done Piling On 17:19 - Throwing Some Love At Taijuan Walker 20:28 - Ranger Suarez' Up and Down Season 24:47 - Introduction to the Iron Pigs and Key Prospects w/ Tom Housenick 25:00 - Andrew Painter's Progress in AAA 34:46 - Justin Crawford's Performance and Future 36:54 - Update on Aaron Nola's Rehab 39:04 - David Robertson Update

On Episode 994 of Hittin' Season, powered by WHYY, John Stolnis of SB Nation's The Good Phight, Justin Klugh from Baseball Prospectus and SABR's Liz Roscher discuss the Phillies' series win over Detroit and their Monday night 13-3 blowout of the Baltimore Orioles, highlighting key players like Kyle Schwarber and Christopher Sanchez. They delve into the MVP candidacy of Schwarber, compare his stats with Shohei Ohtani, and analyze the outfield situation, particularly the struggles of Max Kepler. The conversation also touches on Zack Wheeler's recent performance and injury updates for the Phils. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and Game Overview 02:46 - Phillies' Performance and Player Highlights 05:27 - Kyle Schwarber's MVP Candidacy 08:37 - Comparing Stats: Schwarber vs. Ohtani 11:34 - Contract Talks and Future Considerations 14:30 - Outfield Dynamics and Player Decisions 21:09 - Max Kepler's Struggles and Stats 23:31 - Outfield Decisions and Roster Moves 25:56 - Power Surge: Phillies' Offense in the Second Half 29:29 - The Importance of Comeback Wins 33:42 - The Jhoan Duran Effect: A New Closer's Impact 39:26 - Christopher Sanchez: Rising Star in the Rotation 47:13 - Concerns About Zach Wheeler 54:28 - Injury Updates and Final Thoughts