By: Matthew Mack
The Philadelphia Phillies opened the 2026 season at Citizens Bank Park with all the pageantry that is associated with MLB Opening Day. They start their National League East Division defense by facing the Texas Rangers for a three game series.
Christopher Sanchez,who was 2nd in Cy Young voting last year, got the Opening Day start versus Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. The Phillies got things early in the first inning without delay as Kyle Schwarber, also 2nd in NL MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani last year, launched a home run to give the Phils an early 2-0 lead. In the 5th, Alec Bohm, with two on, smashed a home run to extend the lead 5-0. Sanchez pitched great in the outing. 10 Strikeouts in 6 innings while giving up only three hits and no walks. In the 9th inning,Lefthander Kyle Backhus, who was doing great in Clearwater, Fla. in Spring Training, had a hiccup in the ninth surrendering three runs in the inning. Manager Rob Thomson called on his closer, Jhoan Duran, to shut the door and seal the win. 5-3 was the score as the Phillies got their first win of the 2026 campaign.
Both teams were off on Friday and met up on Saturday. Aaron Nola got the second game as he went against Jacob Latz. Nola was a bit shaky in the early going as he gave up a solo home run to Coery Seager and a two run homer to Jake Burger off the left field foul pole. Outside of those, along with the three other hits surrendered, he struck out seven while walking two. Nothing came of anything for the rest of the game until the ninth. New Phillies right fielder Adolis Garcia doubled in a run to get the Phils on the board. On the next at bat, Brandon Marsh bring in two to tied the game 3-3, sending it into extra innings. In the 10th, Duran threw a wild pitch to send in a run. Later in the inning, new Ranger and longtime former Pittsburgh Pirate Andrew McCutchen knocked in a run to extend the lead, 5-3. The Phils in the bottom half got a run thanks to Bryce Harper’s RBI single but that was all they could muster as the Phils lose this one, 5-4 in 10 innings.
Sunday afternoon, the Rangers scored six runs before the Phillies even responded. Jesus Luzardo, who signed a contract extension during Spring Training, struggled in his six inning of work. Giving up six runs on six hits and one walk while fanning seven. In that barrage, Brandon Nimmo and McCutchen both hit multi run bombs in the 3rd and 4th innings. Kyle Higashioka also singled in a run. The runs came in the bottom of the sixth for the Phillies when Bohm was hit by a pitch and Garcia hit a sacrifice fly to score Trea Turner. Any way you put it, it was all Rangers as Ezequiel Duran doubled in a run and Seager hit a sacrifice fly of his own to extend the lead. Even though Bryson Stott contributed to a RBI single in the 8th, the Phillies could do little as they dropped the game and the series. The score here, 8-3
On a side note, Zack Wheeler will not be back until May after recovering from his surgery from last season. Center fielder Johan Roja is on an 80-game suspension for steroids use. He was also removed from the World Baseball Classic because of it. Thus, it opened the door wide for Justin Crawford to make his MLB debut in center field. He made his case well known in AAA last year stealing over 40 bases last year. His speed is needed on the bases and his defense can only improve from here.
The MLB season is well underway. 162 games of pure joy, bliss, mayhem, and other emotions that surround it all. I still pick this team to win the division again, though the Dodgers may have other plans as they look for a three-peat. Something that has not been done since the New York Yankees of the late 90s. The All Star Game will be in Philadelphia this year, just after America’s 250th anniversary. The last time it was in Philly, it was in 1996 at the old Veterans Stadium. Ricky Botallico was the lone representative for the Phillies at the time (I remember that game vividly almost). As for the current Phillies team that is on the field. The turnover in the bullpen was massive and the rotation is about the same along with some tweaks in the lineup with the new addition of Adolis Garica on a one-year deal in right field from the aforementioned Texas Rangers, giving Nick Castellanos the departure. If and when he gets going, I expect him to do great things in the lineup with the bat. Especially in the bandbox that is Citizens Bank Park. I cannot guarantee the National League pennant but anything can happen come the end of September.
This season, enjoy the ride, the ups and downs that comes with the drama that is the Major League Baseball season.
