Phillies Have Found Success in One Key Area This Season

The Philadelphia Phillies have been playing some incredible baseball over the last six weeks, turning their season around since Don Mattingly took over as interim manager.

After starting the season 9-19 under Rob Thomson, the team has responded to the managerial change. The Phillies have gone 27-11 under Mattingly thus far, thrusting themselves back into the playoff race in the National League.

There have been a lot of contributing factors to the team’s success. Timely offensive performances have certainly helped on the back of what have been truly dominant outings from their pitchers on the mound.

A lot of credit needs to be given to the bullpen, which has done a fantastic job of holding leads late or keeping the team in games when a starting pitcher is struggling. Their success is a major reason the team has turned things around and leads the MLB in a key statistic.

Phillies have been elite in one-run games this season

Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) exits the mound during the game against the Boston Red Sox. — May 12, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) exits the mound during the game against the Boston Red Sox in the eighth inning at Fenway Park. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

As shared by Thomas Nestico on X, Philadelphia currently has the most one-run victories in the MLB with 14. They have suffered only five losses in one-run games, with their nine games over the .500 mark being the most in baseball.

This could be viewed as a double-edged sword. It means their offense isn’t producing at the levels it is capable of with any consistency, which there is certainly some truth to.

Their victory over the Chicago White Sox in the series finale, a 9-5 win, was the first time in 21 days they won a game by more than three runs. In the series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, they started another streak of winning by three or fewer runs, winning 5-2.

However, that stretch and their record in one-run games also paint a very positive picture about the bullpen. Time and time again, they have stepped up when the team needs them most, either maintaining the slimmest of margins on the scoreboard or keeping the Phillies in a game while the offense gets going.

Record in 1-Run Games pic.twitter.com/MibjtsH0FR
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) June 9, 2026

Having Jhoan Duran at the back end of the bullpen has been a major asset. He has been lights out since being acquired from the Minnesota Twins ahead of the MLB trade deadline last year, solidifying the backend of the bullpen.

With Orion Kerkering, Brad Keller, Jose Alvarado and Jonathan Bowlan, Mattingly has a strong group to help bridge the gap to their future All-Star closer.

Life would certainly be less stressful for Philadelphia if it manufactured runs with more consistency, leading to more lopsided victories. But they can rest pretty easily knowing the kind of production their bullpen is capable of providing in tight spots.

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