In the first season of interleague play in 1997, a 94-loss edition of the Philadelphia Phillies pulled off a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees, the then-reigning World Series champions.
The current edition for the Phillies is jostling for first place in the National League East and another win in New York on Sunday will give them a three-game sweep of the Yankees, who will put Aaron Judge on the injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow.
The Phillies outscored the Yankees 21-9 in the first two games of the series and totaled 27 hits.
In Saturday’s 9-4 win, Bryce Harper homered, Trea Turner drove in two runs and Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run double for the Phillies. Nick Castellanos was held out of the lineup after jamming his knee Friday and Edmundo Sosa suffered a bruised back in a collision with left fielder Brandon Marsh, though both could be in the lineup Sunday.
Harper has five homers in his past eight games and is hitting .347 (17-for-49) in his past 12 games. Turner had a four-hit game Friday and is 10-for-20 in his past four games.
Schwarber homered twice Friday and is batting .353 (12-for-34) with six homers and 15 RBIs in eight games since the All-Star break. J.T. Realmuto had an RBI single and his hitting .394 (28-for-71) in his past 17 games.
“It’s the ebbs and flows,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said after his team collected 13 hits Saturday. “We got a lot of guys swinging the bats well right now and that comes and goes.”
Judge experienced discomfort, wincing on a throw during New York’s three-game series in Toronto. He was in more discomfort Friday and the Yankees sent him for tests that revealed only the strain and no damage to the ulnar collateral ligament.
“All in all, we got good news,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I think all of us feared the worst.”
Without Judge, the Yankees dropped to 3-7 in their past 10 games following a five-game winning streak. The five-game run followed their second six-game losing streak and the Yankees are 21-28 in their past 49 games since winning 35 of their first 55 and holding a seven-game lead atop the AL East.
“We’re going to have to figure it out,” New York slugger Giancarlo Stanton said. “Everybody’s going to have to step up.”
New York on Sunday will face righty Zack Wheeler (9-3, 2.39 ERA), who can reach double-digit wins for the fifth straight season.
Wheeler earned his most recent win July 6 against the Cincinnati Reds when he pitched a one-hitter. Since then, he has allowed six runs on 13 hits in a pair of six-inning starts in no-decisions against the San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox.
Wheeler notched his fifth double-digit strikeout game this season Monday against Boston when he fanned 10 and allowed seven hits, equaling his second-highest total this season.
Wheeler is 1-2 with a 7.18 ERA in five career starts against the Yankees. He last faced the Yankees in a 14-4 loss in Philadelphia last season, allowing three homers and seven runs in five innings on July 29.
New York has an MLB-worst 6.29 ERA this month and starts Carlos Rodon (10-7, 3.10).
Rodon is 2-4 with a 4.20 ERA in his past eight starts and allowed four runs (two earned) in five innings during a 4-1 loss at Toronto on Monday, his most recent start.
Rodon is 1-0 with a 0.51 ERA in three career starts against the Phillies.