Phillies Offense Will Be Challenged By Red-Hot Diamondbacks Pitcher

The struggling Philadelphia Phillies offense will be facing a red-hot pitcher to start the season on Friday night.

Apr 4, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A detailed view of an Arizona Diamondbacks hat at the game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park. | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies will be back at home following a six-game road trip on the West Coast and will be playing a talented Arizona Diamondbacks team over the weekend. 

While the team will certainly be happy to be back home, they will be returning with some mixed results from last week. The Phillies were able to win two out of three games against the Colorado Rockies to secure the win in that series. Then, despite winning the first game of the series against the San Francisco Giants, they were shut out in their next two games. 

The offense for Philadelphia going cold is certainly concerning, and a good portion of their lineup has gotten off to slow starts this campaign. Fortunately, the team is still 6-6, thanks to some good performances from their starting pitching and bullpen. 

Against Arizona, the Phillies are going to be tested right out of the gate to start their series against one of the hottest starters in baseball to begin the campaign. Right-hander Michael Soroka is pitching extremely well, and with the offense struggling, this is not an ideal matchup. 

Soroka Will Present a Challenge

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Michael Soroka | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Injuries have certainly been a major issue in the career of the right-hander. As a young pitcher, he got off to a fantastic start to his career with the Atlanta Braves. In 2019, he was able to total a 13-4 record and 2.68 ERA. He was able to make 29 starts that year, but injuries unfortunately followed. 

Since then, he hasn’t started in 20 games during a campaign, with the most being 17 last year with the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs. Unfortunately, injuries kept him from helping the Cubs after they acquired him, as he made just one start for the team. 

So far, Soroka is healthy and pitching like the 2019 version of himself with the Diamondbacks this year. In two starts, he has totaled a 0.90 ERA and has struck out 13 batters in 10 innings pitched. With wins coming against two good teams on paper in the Detroit Tigers and the Braves, the Phillies’ lineup will have their hands full. Fortunately, he has gone just five innings in both of his starts and seems to be capped out around the 90-pitch mark. 

For Philadelphia, after being shut out for two straight games, going against a pitcher who is off to the start that Soroka is this year is not ideal. However, they need to find a way to create some offense and snap their scoreless streak.