Hittin' Season: A Philadelphia Phillies podcast

On Episode 734 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis and Justin Klugh revel in the Phillies' 10-0 destruction of the DBacks in Game 2 of the NLCS and relive the tension of Game 1's 5-3 series opener. Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler form the game's best postseason two-man punch, the offense cannot stop hitting homers, Kyle Schwarber things the NLCS is June, and the bullpen continues to shine. Is there anything that can stop this Phillies bulldozer from finishing things off in Arizona?

With the Phillies just one series away from a return trip to the World Series, John Stolnis, Liz Roscher and Justin Klugh preview the upcoming National League Championship Series between the Phils and Diamondbacks. Who has the pitching advantage? Who will hit more dingers? Who has the best bullpen? Can the Diamondbacks handle the insanity of Citizens Bank Park? Will Rhys Hoskins be on the NLCS roster? So many questions, as John, Justin and Liz answer them all!

On Episode 732 of Hittin' Season, Justin Klugh of Baseball Prospectus and Liz Roscher of Yahoo! Sports breaks down the Phillies' four-game series victory over Atlanta, thanks to their 3-1, Game 4 win at the insane asylum known as Citizens Bank Park.

On Episode 731 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight and BillyPenn.com recaps the Phillies' raucous and record-setting Game 3 10-2 victory over the Braves in Game 3 of the NLDS that featured Bryce Harper's multi-homer game and epic stare down of Orlando Arcia. Also, Aaron Nola owns the night, the Phillies tie an MLB homer record, and the fans want Spencer Strider.

On Episode 730 of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher walk you through the Phillies' awful 5-4 come-from-ahead loss to the Braves in Game 2 of the NLDS. Wheeler's dominant start turned into a disaster, as the Phils blew a 4-0 lead, with multiple scoring chances wasted and a demoralizing double play to end it. Did the Phillies breathe new life into the Braves? And how will the fanbase react heading into Game 3 at Citizens Bank Park?

On Episode 729 of Hittin' Season, host John Stolnis of The Good Phight and BillyPenn.com recaps the Phillies' thrilling 3-0 win in Game 1 of their NLDS against the Braves, with incredible pitching from Ranger Suarez and bullpen, Rob Thomson's managerial genius, Bryce Harper stealing the show yet again and Trea Turner's miracle double play. Also, a quick preview of Game 2 on Monday night!

On Episode 728 of Hittin' Season, Liz Roscher from Yahoo! Sports and Justin Klugh of Baseball Prospectus look ahead to the NLDS match-up between the Phillies and Braves. Can the Phils upset Atlanta for the second year in a row in the divisional round? Also, some final thoughts on the wild card series against the Marlins, whining from Braves fans about seeding, and the national audience forgetting that Phillies fans are Philly fans.

On Episode 727 of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis of The Good Phight and BillyPenn.com and Liz Roscher of Yahoo! Sports recap the Phillies' convincing 7-1 win over the Marlins in Game 2 of the Wild Card round, completing the Phils' two-game sweep, and setting up a date with Atlanta in the NLDS beginning this Saturday. The crowd was nuts once again, Aaron Nola was amazing, and Bryson Stott hit the grand slam that will live in franchise lore forever. What a night!

On Episode 726 of Hittin' Season, host John Stolnis of The Good Phight recaps the Phillies' invigorating 4-1 win over the Marlins in Game 1 of their Wild Card series at Citizens Bank Park. Zack Wheeler shoved, the bullpen owned, and the Phils scratched out enough offense to take a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-three. Come relive all the magic right here!

On Episode 725 of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Justin Klugh from Baseball Prospectus and Yahoo! Sports' Liz Roscher take a look back at their favorite moments from the 2023 regular season and preview this week's Wild Card Round match-up with the Miami Marlins. Also, the gang discusses the firings of Buck Showalter and Gabe Kapler and wonder if either man will get another shot at managing someday.

On Episode 724 of Hittin' Season, host John Stolnis from The Good Phight and BillyPenn recaps a dramatic night of baseball at Citizens Bank Park as rookie Johan Rojas walks it off in the 10th inning, clinching the Phils' second playoff berth in as many seasons! Also, John takes a quick look back at the Phillies' journey to the postseason here in 2023, and wonders just how far they can go this time.

On Episode 723 of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis and Justin Klugh recap the Phillies' series sweep of the Mets and discuss how Rob Thomson will utilize his deep pitching staff in a playoff series. Also, J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos carry the offense, and Orion Kerkering makes his debut. Will he have a role in the postseason?

On Episode 722 of Hittin' Season, hosts Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher recap Thursday night's series opening win against the Mets and examine the hows and whys of New York's stunning collapse in 2023. Also, will Phils fans boo Scott Rolen at his Wall of Fame ceremony, and how far can the Phillies' pitching take them this October?

On Episode 721 of Hittin' Season, host John Stolnis from The Good Phight & BillyPenn.com is joined by Phils radio color analyst and shortstop of the 1993 pennant winners Kevin Stocker to talk about the starting rotation, vibes, and the Phillies push for the top wild card spot in the NL. Also, John recaps the final two games of the Braves series, including Aaron Nola's encouraging start, a post-season dress rehearsal in the series finale, and the evil voice that lives inside Nick Castellanos' head.

On Episode 720 of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Liz Roscher of Yahoo! Sports and Baseball Prospectus' Justin Klugh chat about the Phillies' 7-1 win over the Braves and whether Kyle Schwarber has surpassed Jim Thome on the all-time Phils' sluggers list. Also, how on earth is the playoff rotation going to shake out, and which NL wild card team should the Phillies least want to see in the playoffs?

On Episode 719 of Hittin' Season, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher discuss some awful umpiring that affected Zack Wheeler's last start against the Braves, the futility of getting upset over player celebrations, and the Red Sox fire Chaim Bloom.

On Episode 718 of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis and Justin Klugh discuss the final two games of the Phillies series against the Braves, which featured yet another soul-crushing loss in extra innings on Tuesday and a 4-1 dud on Wednesday. With a 5-8 record in September, are we in for another rough final month ride, or did the Phils simply run into a buzzsaw? And do we feel better about facing the Braves in the playoffs after this series, or worse?

On Episode 717 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Liz Roscher from Yahoo! Sports and Justin Klugh of Baseball Prospectus discuss a wild five games by the Phillies against the Marlins and Monday's doubleheader against Atlanta. Which pitchers do we trust (there are two, for those counting)? Bryce Harper's heroics have no end, but neither do the bullpen blowups! Is a split against the Braves enough? How we feeling right now?

On Episode 716 of Hittin' Season, Justin Klugh of Baseball Prospectus chat with Ely Sussman of Fish on First to preview this weekend's match-up against the on-again, off-again Miami Marlins in a series full of wild card implications. Also, Yahoo! Sports' Liz Roscher joins Justin to talk about Rhys Hoskins' future with the Phils.

On Episode 715 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis from the Good Phight and BillyPenn.com recaps the Phillies' much-needed series win in San Diego, Zack Wheeler's recent dominance, and Kyle Schwarber's ridiculous second half. Also, John talks with Meghan Montemurro, Cubs beat writer for the Chicago Tribune about what is happening on the North Side this year, and John opens up the mailbag to talk Hoskins, postseason rotation and bullpen concerns.

On Episode 714 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis from The Good Phight, Liz Roscher of Yahoo! Sports and Justin Klugh from Baseball Prospectus break down the Phillies' series against the Brewers over the weekend, our confidence level in the bullpen, whether the Phils are too homer-reliant (like that's a thing) and do they have the best pitching staff in baseball? One metric says they do.

On Episode 713 of Hittin' Season, Justin Klugh of Baseball Prospectus and Liz Roscher from Yahoo! Sports recap the Phillies' series against the Angels and preview this weekend's huge match-up with the Brewers in Milwaukee. All the homers, good vibes, and wins piled up in August, can the Phils keep it rolling into a month in which they've typically struggled... September?

On Episode 712 of Hittin' Season, host John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Billy Penn talks about Bryce Harper's dramatic 300th home run, their 7-2 homestand, and runs down a timeline from an August that will be remembered as one of the greatest months of baseball in Philadelphia history. Also, Russell Carleton stops by to talk about his book "The New Ballgame: The Not-So-Hidden Forces Shaping Modern Baseball."

On Episode 711 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher recap the Phillies' sweep of the woeful St. Louis Cardinals and revel in the heroics of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and the rest of a team that is playing its best baseball of the season at just the right time.

They lost the last game of the series, but as Justin Klugh of Baseball Prospectus and Liz Roscher of Yahoo! Sports discuss, the Phillies' play against the Giants still gained them some momentum. And with five MLB franchises threatening to move, what if the Phillies did the same?

On Episode 709 of Hittin' Season, host John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Billy Penn chats with New York Times and soon-to-be Athletic national baseball writer Tyler Kepner about the Phillies' series win over the Giants, the NL wild card race and the downfall of the Mets and Yankees. Also, what are sports "vibes" and how can teams and players harness it like the Phillies seem to have? Vibes expert Professor Jason Del Gandio joins the show to talk about vibes in pro sports.

On Episode 708 of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis from The Good Phight, Liz Roscher of Yahoo Sports and Baseball Prospectus' Justin Klugh chat about Monday's Phillies win over the Giants, the first of three games that could determine their chances of earning the top wild card spot. Also, some thoughts on the Phillies-Nationals series over the weekend, failing to take advantage of a cake schedule, and more dumb words uttered by the owner of the Baltimore Orioles.

On Episode 707 of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Yahoo! Sports' Liz Roscher preview this weekend's series against the Nationals and Michael Lorenzen's attempt to pitch MLB's second back-to-back no-hitters, the state of the NL Wild Card race, and a special Sunday Night coming up in Williamsport.

On Episode 706 of Hittin' Season, host John Stolnis of The Good Phight & Billy Penn recaps the Phillies' quick two-game series split in Toronto with baseball analyst and talented actress Ellen Adair, discussing Bryce Harper's power surge, whether Aaron Nola is fixable and if he should start a playoff series if things don't turn around. Plus, Johan Rojas, Zack Wheeler and NL wild card thoughts as well!

On Episode 705 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Justin Klugh from Baseball Prospectus recap the disappointing Phillies-Twins series and Sunday's loss largely attributable to a home plate umpire recently called up from AAA. No, seriously. Also, was the 6-4 homestand a disappointment, or just fine, considering the Phils have the 3rd best record in the National League? And it was Alumni Weekend at CBP, who would we most want to hang out with this weekend?

On Episode 704 of Hittin' Season, hosts Justin Klugh of Baseball Prospectus and Liz Roscher of Yahoo! Sports share their thoughts on Michael Lorenzen's historic no-hitter, Trea Turner's reawakening, Ken Rosenthal's assertion that Philly fans' recent outpouring of audible support to struggling players make them "softer than a Philly soft pretzel" and the weaknesses of the rest of the NL wild card teams, all of whom are now chasing the Phillies.

On Episode 703 of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis and Mike Robertson of @FranzkeLA Twitter fame talk about a historic night at Citizens Bank Park, the 14th no-hitter in Phillies history, thrown by Michael Lorenzen in his first ever start at home in a Phils uniform. Also, Weston Wilson homers in his first career at-bat in the Majors, Nick Castellanos hits his 200th home run, and thoughts about the team's bullpen usage heading down the stretch.

On Episode 702 of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Liz Roscher from Yahoo! Sports discuss the Phillies' weekend series against the Kansas City Royals and the thrilling love affair between a city and their superstar shortstop, Trea Turner. Did the fanbase help Turner break out of his season-long rut? Also, the Big 5 do damage in the series while another veteran star, Aaron Nola, continued to struggle. If the playoff started today, would he start a game? And Cole Hamels announced his retirement this week, so John & Liz reminisce on the left-handed superstar's time in Philadelphia and whether he's Hall of Fame worthy.

On Episode 697 of Hittin' Season, the Good Phight's John Stolnis recaps the Phillies' series win over the best team in the American League, the Baltimore Orioles. Also, why Trea Turner was forced to take a day off on Wednesday, why the time is NOW to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the NL Wild Card rabble, and a conversation with Brian Michael with the Philadelphia Negro League Baseball Exhibit, now featured at Cherry Hill Street Pier until the end of August. Check out the website at A League Apart!

On Episode 696, hosts John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Justin Klugh from Baseball Prospectus and Yahoo! Sports' Liz Roscher discuss the Phillies riding the struggle bus once again after a lackluster weekend in Cleveland and a rough opening-game loss to the first place Orioles. Can the Phillies' "Big 5" free agent signees, (Harper, Realmuto, Schwarber, Turner and Castellanos) pick it up and score consistently? Which outfielders should the Phils target at the trade deadline (don't say Tommy Pham), and why telling John to "relax" about the Phillies is apparently a trigger.

On Episode 694 of Hittin' Season, host John Stolnis of The Good Phight and BillyPenn.com breaks down the disappointing news that pitching phenom Andrew Painter will need Tommy John surgery, likely keeping him out of action until 2025, as well as whether the Phillies would and/or could trade for Padres star Juan Soto, with ESPN Sports Center Anchor and Philly native Kevin Negandhi. Also, John recaps the first two games of the Phillies-Brewers series and responds to trade proposals submitted by Hittin' Season listeners.

On Episode 693 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis from The Good Phight and Yahoo! Sports' Liz Roscher recap the Phillies gleefully enjoyable series win as they once again rip the hearts out of the San Diego Padres. Are the 2022 playoff vibes back? Sure feels like it! We talk Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, Johan Rojas' debut, Shohei Ohtani trade rumors and preview the upcoming home series against a Brewers team that features one of the very worst offenses in baseball.

The Phillies' second half begins TONIGHT with the Padres. Liz and Justin preview the four-game series, talk about the fun at the All-Star Game, and how Rob Manfred wants to be re-elected your commissioner of MLB!

On Episode 691 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis from the Good Phight takes a quick look back at the performances of Nick Castellanos, Craig Kimbrel and Rob Thomson in the NL's 3-2 All Star Game win this week. Also, the Phils could be interested in Cardinals star Nolan Arenado, a chat about Reading Fightins' prospect with broadcaster Jake Starr, and John and his 12-year-old son play baseball's hottest new game, The Immaculate Grid.

On Episode 690 of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Justin Klugh from Baseball Prospectus and Yahoo! Sports' Liz Roscher gather together to discuss the up-and-down first half of the Phillies season, hand out grades for the players, and discuss the vibes heading into the second half. Also, it's great getting to know Nick Castellanos a bit more, Rob Thomson's managing the All Star Game, and lots more!

It really happened. The Phillies swept the Rays for their 12th road victory in a row. Justin talks to Tim Jackson of Baseball Prospectus about Bryson Stott's ability to infuriate opposing pitchers, and Ely Sussman of Fish on First helps preview the upcoming Phillies-Marlins series.

The Phillies have beaten the Rays twice in exactly the ways no one imagined they would: Once with a strong Aaron Nola start, and once with a resounding and unrelenting offensive attack.

he Phillies' weekend included a lot of blown chances to sweep a bad team. Also, Nick Castellanos is an all-star, and what else has happened on (or near) the 4th of July in Phillies seasons of the past?

Leo Morgenstern of FanGraphs talks about the positives of Bryce Harper's homerless streak, and Liz and Justin break down the Phillies' sweep of the Cubs in Chicago.

On Episode 685 of Hittin' Season, host John Stolnis recaps the first two wins of their series against the Cubs in Chicago, another outstanding pitching performance by Ranger Suarez, mailbag questions on the trade deadline, available options, Bryce Harper's timeline for playing first base and so much more!

On Episode 684 of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis of The Good Phight, Justin Klugh from Baseball Prospectus and Yahoo! Sports' Liz Roscher recap the unfathomable collapse by New York that led to the Phillies' incomprehensible 7-6 win and a series victory over their rivals to the north. What was Buck Showalter thinking? Does he want to be fired? And are the Mets dead and buried? Also, despite winning two games, the Phils' offense continues to struggle, Trea Turner looked pretty good, and the starting rotation looks great. But is that enough for the Phillies to grab a wild card spot?

Why talk about the Phillies losing two games to the Braves when we can talk about what their City Connect jerseys might look like? Additionally, the Phillies are going to play the Mets, both in South Philly this weekend and in London in 2024. They also lost two games to the Braves.

On Episode 682 of Hittin' Season, host John Stolnis chats with SB Nation's Kris Willis from the Atlanta Braves site Battery Power to chat about the Braves' fast start to the 2023 season, his take on the gap between the Phils and Braves, and whether or not it'll be the Phils, Marlins, Reds or Giants that end up making the postseason. Also, trying to figure out what happened to Bryce Harper's power stroke, and reliving a classic Phillies game from 2003, "The Todd Pratt Game."

On Episode 681 of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher recap the Phillies' series sweep against the woeful A's in Oakland and wonder if the Phils can continue their winning ways when the equally red-hot Braves come to town for a three-game series this week. Also, discussion on potential trade scenarios involving Paul Goldschmidt and the wisdom of trading for a No. 5 starter, and which of the Marlins, Giants and Reds are most likely to sustain their early season success.

On Episode 680 of Hittin' Season, host John Stolnis recaps an outstanding series win against the Arizona Diamondbacks and lists all the reasons the Phillies have won 10 out of their last 12. How big a deal is the re-introduction of "Dancing on My Own" to the vibes right now? Also, could Mick Abel be a solution to the Phils' No. 5 starter problems? A bit on Bryce Harper's power outage, and a lot of takes about MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's insulting remarks about A's fans as the Phillies get set to play three games against perhaps the worst team in baseball.