Jesus Luzardo Overcomes Bizarre Splits Leading Phillies Over Mets

Jesus Luzardo picked up right where he left off in the first half against the New York Mets.

Jul 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) throws a pitch against the New York Mets in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo was one of six players who represented the franchise on the National League All-Star Team.

It was a deserved honor for Luzardo, who was selected as a replacement after several pitchers had to withdraw from participating in the game. He was excited for the opportunity, one he earned with stellar performances on the mound.

In the first half, Luzardo went 8-4 in 19 starts with a 3.51 ERA across 110.1 innings with 136 strikeouts. However, there was one oddity about his performance: his splits at Citizens Bank Park and when pitching on the road.

Normally, players are more comfortable when playing at their home ballpark and in a set routine. That wasn’t the case for Luzardo, who was dominant on the road but struggled mightily when pitching in front of the fans at home.

Jesus Luzardo performs well at Citizens Bank Park

Jul 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) pitches during the fourth inning for the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It is a trend he is certainly working hard to reverse, and he got off to a great start in achieving that goal in his first start of the second half. Against the New York Mets on July 18 at Citizens Bank Park, Luzardo was dealing.

The talented lefty battled through five innings, needing 90 pitches to get through the outing. The Mets made him work hard, but he did a great job of limiting the damage, allowing only two hits and two walks that resulted in one earned run.

Tyrone Taylor took him deep for a solo home run in the top of the second inning for the only run of the game for New York. Luzardo did strike out seven to help lead the Phillies to a 6-1 victory, bouncing back nicely after losing 4-1 in their first game of the second half.

It was a much-needed strong performance for the All-Star at his home ballpark. In 2026, he has not performed well at Citizens Bank Park with a 6.12 ERA in nine starts and 50 innings, with opponents producing a .258/.315/.464 slash line with 21 extra-base hits allowed.

Solid start outta the break for Zeus pic.twitter.com/7NF3Npbr5f

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 18, 2026

All five of his starts where he has allowed 5+ runs have come at home thus far this season. He has 11 outings where he allowed one or zero runs, and nine of them have come on the road.

When away from Citizens Bank Park, Luzardo has produced a 1.38 ERA across 65.1 innings with only eight extra-base hits allowed. Opponents have recorded a below-average .216/.294/.257 slash line against him.

If he can start getting closer to that production when pitching at home, it will certainly help the team in the long run. But it has to be nice knowing that if they have an important game to win on the road and Luzardo is on the mound, they are in great hands.

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