Phillies leave Atlanta with 7 All-Stars, Schwarber and Harper soon to return and a debut to ponder

ATLANTA — The hours leading up to Sunday’s series finale at Truist Park were glorious for the Phillies. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber stepped onto the dirt and ran the bases with determination under the watchful eyes of four Phillies officials. Everyone was cheering. Both sluggers could return Tuesday.

Then they all filed inside for a clubhouse meeting at 12:25 p.m. Manager Rob Thomson revealed that this team had more All-Stars than any Phillies team before it. A quarter of the roster — seven players — received the honor. Four of them were first-time All-Stars. There were cheers and hugs.

And after that, they had to suffer a 6-0 defeat against the Atlanta Braves, a defeat that ended shortly after it began.

Michael Mercado, a rookie making his second start, couldn’t throw strikes or keep the ball in the yard. It happens. But the Phillies left there eight games ahead of Atlanta and feeling like they’d survived the period without Harper and Schwarber.

They are 5-4 without them. Schwarber will be in Tuesday’s lineup against the powerful Los Angeles Dodgers. Harper appears to be on track.

“I feel good,” Harper said. “We’ll see what happens.”

The Phillies might need it. They see the limitations of a depleted lineup. They didn’t have a multi-base hit in Saturday’s loss. They didn’t score a run Sunday for just the third time this season. A compromised lineup needed to avoid being swept at Truist Park, and the Phillies did it. They’ll look different the next time they come here in late August.

This team was built on its stars, but the All-Star announcements showed just how much of a complete team the Phillies have built. The seven All-Stars is a club record. The Phillies have had five All-Stars six times — 2011, 2009, 1995, 1981, 1979 and 1976. The National League record for most players sent by a club is eight — set by the 2023 Braves. The Phillies fell just short.

Matt Strahm has a 1.59 ERA in 36 appearances. (Rick Osentoski/USA Today)

Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman, one of the best bullpen duos in baseball, were selected by player vote. Neither is a traditional closer. It was a satisfying feeling for both pitchers, who are first-time All-Stars.

“The way the game’s going,” Strahm said, “I think the players are starting to understand that you don’t just win games in the ninth inning. So it’s a good thing to see. It’s good for the game.”

The two relievers became close friends and raised their game through a religious daily game of catch. Thomson, at Sunday morning’s meeting, called Strahm’s name first.

“It probably took a bigger weight off my shoulders,” Hoffman said, “than hearing my own name called.”

“I didn’t expect much,” Strahm said. “I was hoping Jeff would get the nod. … He’s done an incredible job of getting his career back on track. He definitely deserves it.”

Ranger Suarez is 10-3 with a 2.58 ERA. (Orlando Ramirez/USA Today)

Ranger Suarez, who ranks second in the National League in earned run average, is a potential candidate to start the Midsummer Classic. The Phillies figure he could use a break to handle a growing workload, but they’ll defer to Suarez’s wishes.

“If I’m going to go, I want to pitch,” Suarez said. “I mean, it’s my first All-Star Game. I want to feel like my first All-Star Game.”

“I want him to do what he wants to do,” Thomson said. “I’m pretty comfortable with that.”

Zack Wheeler is not eligible to pitch; he will start the game on the last day before the All-Star break. Harper said he intends to play in the All-Star Game. “Sure,” Harper said. It will be Harper’s first All-Star appearance as a Phillie.

The Phillies are more eager to get him back in the lineup, and that could happen Tuesday. They have six games left before the break. A strong push would help.

Tyler Phillips allowed just one run in four innings in his major league debut. (Brett Davis/USA Today)

The Phillies have some pitching decisions to make after Sunday’s loss. They’ll consider options for the fifth spot in the rotation. Mercado is expected to pitch one more time before the break: Friday against the Oakland A’s. He could still make that start. Or Tyler Phillips, who logged a few innings as a cleanup pitcher in his debut Sunday, could slide into the rotation.

“We need to discuss some things,” Thomson said.

Phillips struck out Matt Olson, Marcell Ozuna and Travis d’Arnaud on 12 pitches to start his major league career. He looked healthy through four innings. The southern New Jersey native was raised a Phillies fan, and the feat meant a lot to generations of Phillipses. Tyler’s father, Dan, was at Truist Park. So was Tyler’s 3-year-old son, Frank, named after his late grandfather who taught him to love the Phillies.

The 26-year-old right-hander became the first Phillies pitcher to have seven strikeouts in his major league debut since Cole Hamels in 2006. Hamels was one of Phillips’ favorite players on the Phillies growing up. Phillips showed the Phillies something.

“I hope so,” he said. “I knew I had a role to play today. I had a job. I just want the ball. Give me the ball and I’m going to go out there and do everything I can to go as far as I can. Obviously, in the past, I’ve never been a strikeout pitcher. I had a few more strikeouts today. I’ll chalk that up to adrenaline. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going.”

Phillips and Mercado are auditioning for now and later, when the Phillies need starting pitchers throughout the summer. They want to protect the rest of the rotation.

Taijuan Walker (blister) is rehabbing with the team. He will throw a workout Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park and could progress to facing hitters in a controlled session over the weekend. He could need a minor league start at some point, but the Phillies may have to speed things up if they want Walker in the rotation soon after the All-Star break.

This All-Star Game will have a distinctly Phillies feel to it. It reflects what the Phillies have accomplished so far. They have bigger goals. Two unproductive days in Atlanta were disappointing but not disheartening. It speaks to the quality of the team right now.

“The management has put together a really strong team,” Thomson said. “And I’m proud of those seven players.”