Philadelphia Phillies at Baltimore Orioles

The only thing that matters for the Phillies now is what president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski does before Monday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline. The Phils beat the Orioles on Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards, 8-0, in a six-inning shortened game that featured two rain delays. But at least they won their first series since the All-Star break, which is a turn in the right direction for a team that has been struggling. The Phillies need bats before Monday’s Deadline. They need arms, too. They don’t have a deep farm system, so it will be interesting to see how much they can do. Asking prices have been relatively high to this point, but that could change as the Deadline nears. A few things from Sunday’s game: **Harper is heating up** Bryce Harper said Monday in Miami that “It’s my job to go out and play and do my job. And, obviously, in the last month, I haven't done my job to the best of my ability.” But Harper is batting .318 (7-for-22) with one double, one triple, two home runs, five RBIs and a 1.150 OPS in six games since, including a solo home run to right field in the fifth inning on Sunday. “If I can swing at strikes, let the ones go that are balls and hit the ones over the heart, we all have success,” Harper said. No matter who the Phillies acquire, they’ll need the stars on their roster to step up. “I never worry about Bryce, honestly, because I know he doesn't really worry,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. **Wheels up** Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler pitched only two innings because of the rain, but his four-seam fastball averaged 94.8 mph, which is more in line with his season average (95.2 mph). “I felt good,” Wheeler said. “I felt better than the other day.” That’s good news. Remember, Wheeler allowed five runs in three innings on Monday in Miami. It was his shortest start since April 17, 2022. It was the first time he allowed five runs in a game since May 29, 2025.