Was it the best Phillies series of the Rob Thomson era? The Phils made some history in their three-game sweep of the Mariners at Citizens Bank Park this week, with hitting and pitching heroes galore. John Stolnis of The Good Phight is joined by sports radio legend Jody McDonald of 94 WIP and the Infinity Sports Network to break down the Seattle series, as well as MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's discussion of radical league-wide realignment once expansion takes place.

The Phillies had a harrowing weekend in Washington, DC. They lost their ace, Zack Wheeler, potentially for the season. Aaron Nola got shelled in his first game back in three months. The offense was inconsistent. We all though Jhoan Duran was dead for a few minutes there. And yet, the Phils split their weekend series and went 6-4 on their 10-game road trip. On Episode 1000!!! of Hittin' Season, hosts John Stolnis, Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher spend the first half of the show allowing their dark thoughts to manifest before turning things over to the light for an optimistic look at the first place Phillies.

Justin Klugh and Liz Roscher talk about how Nick Castellanos' struggles are at this point just a part of the Phillies offense, Aaron Nola's return to the rotation, the Phillies' head-shaking loss to the Nationals on Thursday, and Matt Strahm's Pokemon cards.

The Phillies lost the final two games in Cincinnati as the offense scored in just 2 of the 27 innings played against the Reds this week. But resist the urge to freak out! On Episode 998 of Hittin' Season, powered by WHYY, John Stolnis of The Good Phight looks at the disappearance of the offense and some concerns about Ranger Suarez' second half swoon and recent velocity drop. Also, John is joined by his 14-year-old son Ethan, a die-hard Nationals fan, to help preview this weekend's four-game series in Washington.

After another late inning win over the Reds Monday night, the Phillies roll continues with contributions up and down the lineup and from the most pleasant surprise of the season - Taijuan Walker.

On Episode 997 of Hittin' Season, John Stolnis of The Good Phight and Liz Roscher of SABR's Baseball Research Journal discuss the weekend sweep of the Rangers, the remarkable turnaround of the Jhoan Duran-led bullpen, Zack Wheeler's velocity drop and the freefalling Mets.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Hitting Season

02:52 - Phillies' Recent Performance and Winning Streak

08:18 - Taiwan Walker's Turnaround Season

15:03 - Impact of the Bottom of the Lineup

20:49 - Defensive Improvements and Managerial Decisions

25:57 - Comparing Impressive Sweeps: Blue Jays vs. Rangers

28:04 - Revitalizing the Bullpen: A New Strength?

35:01 - Zack Wheeler's Struggles: Concern or Confidence?

42:56 - Looking Ahead: August Schedule and Predictions

47:34 - Mets Meltdown: A Comedy of Errors