Phillies crush White Sox, who entered Friday UNDEFEATED in their last one game

The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago White Sox on Friday, 7-0.

Let’s get this part out of the way: the White Sox are bad. Like, historically bad. Despite a win in their most recent game, they showed up to Citizens Bank Park 3-15 overall. And as Jamie and Renee mentioned on Friday’s postgame PHLY Phillies pod, Chicago is the only team since 1901 to get shut out seven or more times in their first 19 games.

But that’s Chicago’s problem. The Phils were in a position to bully an inferior team in this one, and that’s exactly what they did. Alec Bohm jumped all over Sox lefty starter Garrett Crochet, hitting two three-run home runs in the first three innings of the game. Whit Merrifield, struggling early in his Phillies career, smacked another HR in the fourth, which was great to see. “Maybe that lets [Merrifield] breathe a little better,” Rob Thomson said after the game. “Any time you come to a new club, new fanbase, there’s a little bit of anxiety there.”

Ring it, Whit!#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/PfFJrlAw6a

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 19, 2024

On the mound, Spencer Turnbull took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and now sports a 1.23 ERA. His early-season success, along with that of Zack Wheeler (3.00 ERA), Aaron Nola (3.47 ERA), Ranger Suarez (1.73 ERA), and Cristopher Sanchez (2.53 ERA), leaves the Phillies in a bit of a conundrum with Taijuan Walker’s upcoming return from the IL.

Prior to Friday’s game, many expected Turnbull to go to the bullpen when Walker rejoined the team. Turnbull’s continued success, however, has complicated the situation. It’s tough to take anyone out of a rotation that’s been so dominant. Check out this factoid from Scott Lauber:

Five turns through the #Phillies' rotation:

2011 (Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, Hamels, Blanton): 3.47 ERA.

2024 (Wheeler, Nola, Suárez, Sánchez, Turnbull): 2.41 ERA

— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) April 20, 2024

I mean, holy hell. It’s early, sure, but does Thomson tinker with that kind of success?

Turnbull’s workload will be an important consideration as the Phillies figure out how to move forward. Since 2019, the 6’3″ righthander hasn’t pitched more than 56.2 innings in a season. Walker, meanwhile, threw 172.2 innings in 2023 and hasn’t thrown fewer than 159 since the covid-shortened 2020 season.

“We don’t know what the decision is,” said Thomson. “It’s pitch limits, inning limits . . . I don’t know what that limit is, usually you go up 30 or 40 from the year before, but with our diagnostics and what they can do with the arm, who knows, but we’re not going to put [Turnbull] in jeopardy.”

There is, of course, no such thing as too much quality starting pitching. And these situations have a way of working themselves out due to injuries, doubleheaders, etc. In 2023, eleven different pitchers started a game for the Fightins. (Where were you when Michael Plassmeyer served up ten runs to the Mets in a 2023 start?)

So we’ll see what happens with the starters long-term. Right now, however, the Phillies have Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola lined up for the remainder of their series with the White Sox. The team is in an excellent position to extend their current four-game winning streak.

Stack up the wins now and let the rest be a future-you problem, Phillies.

Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.