Phillies waste a gem from Jesus Luzardo as the fastball problem reaches new levels of embarrassing

The Phillies welcomed the Yankees to Citizens Bank Park for a three-game set and got shut out 1-0 because Cam Schlittler threw a bunch of fastballs and the Phillies had absolutely no answer for any of them.

Schlittler entered the night with an American League-best 2.20 ERA and a Cy Young-caliber breakout season built almost entirely on velocity, throwing 93 percent fastballs coming in and 86 percent against the Phillies on Friday.

He struck out 12, walked nobody, and gave up three hits over 7 1/3 scoreless innings. What you see is what you get with the guy, four-seamers, sinkers, and cutters pounded into the zone, and the Phillies still couldn’t touch him.

Phillies Fastball Problem is EMBARASSING

Here’s the number that should terrify everyone in the organization. The Phillies now have the third-worst OPS in baseball on pitches 98 mph or harder, sitting at .460.

Last year that number was .707, seventh-best in the sport. That’s a collapse, and it’s not a small-sample fluke tied to the 9-19 start.

Since Mattingly took over, the Phillies have posted a .457 OPS against pitches 98 and up, the worst mark in the entire National League.

It’s the same thing that happened on June 12 in Milwaukee when Jacob Misiorowski threw a complete-game shutout with 15 strikeouts.

A hard-throwing arm just sits in the zone and dares the Phillies to hit velocity, and the Phillies can’t do it.

Schlittler did the exact same thing on Friday and got the exact same result.

Mattingly pushed back a little on the idea that velocity alone is the problem. “It’s more like guys that can actually do something with it,” he said, noting that Schlittler “bullies you a little bit with fastball on both sides, and kind of makes it go both ways.”

That’s a fair distinction. It’s not just raw speed, it’s command of raw speed but the bottom line is the same. When a pitcher can locate high-end velocity, this lineup goes quiet, and that’s a genuinely shitty trait to carry into an October full of hard-throwing playoff arms.

They Had One Chance and Couldn’t Cash It

The Phillies got their opening in the eighth after Schlittler finally left with two runners on and one out. Boone went to lefty Brent Headrick, Edmundo Sosa singled to load the bases, and suddenly the top of the order was up with the game a single swing from flipping.

• Turner lined out.
• Schwarber bounced out.

Inning over, threat gone, and that was the night.

Jesus Luzardo Was Brilliant Again and Got Nothing for It

Comment section has been AWFULLY QUIET about Jesus Luzardo lately. Go figure.

The only reason this was a 1-0 game and not a blowout is that Jesus Luzardo continues to be the most dependable pitcher on the staff.

He threw seven innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts, and the only damage was a solo homer from Paul Goldschmidt, who happens to be the best right-handed hitter in baseball against lefties this season.

It was one of Luzardo’s best starts at Citizens Bank Park all year, maybe the best.

9 Ks from Zeus pic.twitter.com/DfoPPDMfhe

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 25, 2026

The run he’s on is absurd.

Luzardo has completed at least five innings in 13 consecutive starts and hasn’t allowed more than two runs in an outing since June 5. Over his last eight starts he’s posted a 1.46 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, a 36.5 percent strikeout rate, and 72 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings.

That’s genuine Cy Young-level pitching and the offense keeps wasting it.

The sweeper was unhittable again. The Yankees went 0-for-9 against it with seven strikeouts, and opposing hitters are now batting .118 against the pitch he throws more than any other.

Realmuto said the sweeper has taken another step forward this year, with Luzardo now able to throw it for chase, for strikes, or behind in the count whenever he wants. And what makes it truly unfair, per Realmuto, is that even when hitters know the sweeper is coming, Luzardo can still blow 98 by their hands.

That combination is why he’s been untouchable for two months.

Phillies are 2-5 Since the Break and the Bats Are the Problem

The Phillies are now 2-5 since the All-Star break. The games have been close, but close isn’t winning, and the common thread through the rut is an offense that isn’t scoring enough.

Keller Likely Gets the Ball Saturday

The Phillies are expected to activate 32-year-old righty Brian Keller and select his contract from Triple-A Lehigh Valley for Saturday’s start, though they could go with an opener depending on how the Yankees stack their lineup.

Keller has a 2.06 ERA in 10 starts at Lehigh Valley with a 0.99 WHIP and has done a nice job keeping runners off base, which is exactly what the fifth-starter black hole has been missing all season.

The good news is that Ryan Weathers, the Yankees’ Saturday starter, doesn’t throw anywhere near as hard as Schlittler and has given up four or more runs in two of his last three starts. If the Phillies can’t hit elite velocity, at least they’re getting a softer-throwing lefty next, which might be exactly what this lineup needs to wake up.

So yeah, the rotation is doing its job. The offense has to figure out how to hit a fastball before October, because every playoff team has arms that throw 98 and sit in the zone, and right now that’s the exact recipe that puts this lineup to sleep.

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