Luzardo strikes out 10 in Miami, Phillies improve to 5-1 under Mattingly

Jesus Luzardo went out in Miami on Sunday and reminded everyone why the Phillies gave him $135 million. Six and a third innings, 10 strikeouts, zero walks, and a fastball that topped out at 98.8 mph. The Phillies won 7-2 over the Marlins and they’re now 5-1 under Don Mattingly with four quality starts from their starters in those five wins. A rotation that was ranked 28th in the league a week ago is starting to look like a completely different unit.

Luzardo pitched shutout ball through six before a hit batsman and a two-run homer with one out in the seventh dinged up the line. His sweeper and changeup generated all 16 of his swings and misses. When the velocity is there and the secondary stuff is getting whiffs at that rate, Luzardo is one of the most difficult lefties to hit in all of baseball.

The Offense Jumped Paddack Immediately

One day after getting one-hit by Max Meyer, the Phillies came out and collected 11 hits with every player in the starting lineup recording at least one. The onslaught started on the very first pitch of the game when Trea Turner doubled off Chris Paddack. The Phillies sent nine men to the plate in the first inning.

Phillies strike first

The Phils strike first pic.twitter.com/hGUG7HDKPC

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 3, 2026

Paddack was sitting at 92 mph on his fastball and walked three batters while getting shelled. Bryson Stott capped it with a three-run homer to give Luzardo a 6-0 cushion before he even threw a pitch.

Bryson Stott. Ring It.

Stott shot! ☄️ pic.twitter.com/HtpD8KZ8Bx

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 3, 2026

That’s the kind of first inning this team has been waiting for all season. For weeks the Phillies were the team falling behind early and never recovering. On Sunday they did the damage in the first frame and let their starter cruise with a comfortable lead. It’s a simple formula and the Phillies are finally executing it.

Luzardo’s Turnaround Is Real

Luzardo had a rough stretch in mid-April walking eight batters across three starts. The command was off and the results were ugly. In his last two starts, he’s pitched 13 1/3 innings with 18 strikeouts and zero walks. The Phillies have won both games. That’s a completely different pitcher from the guy who was running a 7.94 ERA through his first four starts.

South Florida's finest ⚡ pic.twitter.com/qvEGM6xhuw

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 3, 2026

Mattingly managed Luzardo during his time in Miami after the lefty was traded there from Oakland in 2021. He said the stuff has always looked this good dating back to when Luzardo first arrived in the big leagues. The difference now is that he’s consistently locating it in the strike zone, which has led to confidence. When Luzardo is confident and throwing strikes, the fastball-sweeper-changeup combination is filthy. Sunday was proof of that.

The Rotation Under Mattingly

Wheeler has been sharp in two starts since his return from surgery. Sanchez is pitching like the second-best starter in baseball. Luzardo just struck out 10 and walked nobody. Even Painter, despite some rough outings, has shown flashes of what he’s capable of. The rotation that was dragging this team into the ground for the first month of the season has completely turned around in the span of a week.

Four quality starts in five wins under Mattingly is the kind of pitching consistency the Phillies built their identity on over the last two seasons. If this holds, the offense doesn’t need to be spectacular every night. It just needs to be competent. Sunday was a good example. Six runs in the first inning, a few more scattered throughout, and let the starter do his job. Basic winning baseball.

The Phillies are 14-20. Still a long way to go. Still 10.5 back of Atlanta but the trajectory under Mattingly has been legitimately encouraging and the pitching is the biggest reason why. When the rotation is dealing, this team has a chance every night.

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