{"id":2017953,"date":"2025-09-13T00:06:26","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T00:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2017953"},"modified":"2025-09-13T00:06:26","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T00:06:26","slug":"phillies-and-royals-series-preview-notes-and-pitching-matchups-philadelphia-baseball-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/phillies-and-royals-series-preview-notes-and-pitching-matchups-philadelphia-baseball-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Phillies and Royals series preview, notes, and pitching matchups ~ Philadelphia Baseball Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

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You don\u2019t usually call up a two-time All-Star in September and ask him to audition. But welcome to Philadelphia, where Walker Buehler\u2019s new chapter begins Friday night.<\/p>\n

Not long ago, he was a Red Sox experiment gone wrong \u2014 a 7-7 record, a 5.45 ERA, and a quiet exit from Boston. Now, he\u2019s the Phillies\u2019 newest wild card, dropped into a rotation that doesn\u2019t exactly need saving but might welcome a little extra firepower for the stretch drive. <\/p>\n

Buehler got his warm-up act in Triple-A: 78 pitches, five hits, three walks, five strikeouts, and just enough rust to remind him this comeback isn\u2019t automatic. Still, he\u2019s here, wearing red pinstripes in September, talking about respect for the place and relief for the fresh start. <\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, it didn\u2019t work out in Boston, and I\u2019m super excited to be here,\u201d Buehler said. <\/p>\n

So now the Phillies \u2014 already one of the hottest teams in baseball, with eight wins in their last nine and a magic number of five to clinch the East \u2014 will juggle six starters. That means rest for Jes\u00fas Luzardo, Cristopher S\u00e1nchez, Ranger Su\u00e1rez, and Aaron Nola, and maybe a reminder to the rest of the league that Philadelphia\u2019s playoff arsenal is deeper than you thought. <\/p>\n

And let\u2019s not forget Thursday\u2019s exclamation point: Luzardo retiring 22 straight Mets, Otto Kemp driving in three runs, and the Phillies completing a four-game pounding of their rivals that turned the NL East into a one-team race. <\/p>\n

While the Phillies sharpen for October, the Royals arrive clinging to wild-card math that barely works anymore. Kansas City has dropped four of five, including a deflating loss in Cleveland on Thursday when C.J. Kayfus\u2019 eighth-inning homer turned Stephen Kolek\u2019s gem into heartbreak. <\/p>\n

On Friday, Kansas City hands the ball to an old Philly friend \u2014 Michael Lorenzen. You might remember him as the guy who threw a no-hitter for the Phils in August of 2023 against the Nationals. But the numbers since this year? A 5-10 record, a 4.63 ERA, and, in his most recent outing, a pair of homers surrendered to Byron Buxton and Kody Clemens.
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So here we are: Buehler\u2019s first pitch as a Phillie, Lorenzen\u2019s return to Citizens Bank Park, and two franchises heading in opposite directions. For Philadelphia, it\u2019s about fine-tuning before October. For Kansas City, it\u2019s about survival. <\/p>\n

And for Buehler? It\u2019s about rewriting a season that once looked lost.<\/p>\n

Pitching Matchups<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Friday: RHP Walker Buehler (7-7, 5.45) vs. RHP Michael Lorenzen (5-10, 4.63)<\/p>\n

Saturday: RHP Taijuan Walker (4-8, 4.03) vs. RHP Ryan Bergert (2-2, 3.48)<\/p>\n

Sunday: RHP Aaron Nola (4-8, 6.24) vs. LHP Noah Cameron (7-7, 3.00)<\/p>\n

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