Phillies

Phillies are so Hot Not Even a Lefty Can Stop Them Tonight vs A’s

By Chris Wright

Published: May 6th, 2026 · 3:34 PM EDT

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Don Mattingly has had all of the right answers during his 7-1 start as interim Phillies manager.

Let’s see if can solve the “left” side of the equation.

He’ll have to tonight, as the Athletics send left-hander Jeffrey Springs (3-2, 3.96) to the bump. The Phillies faced him once last season — and it went better than it usually does against a lefty. Alec Bohm (not a typo) and Kyle Schwarber homered off Springs, and the Phillies won 9-6 in 11 innings.

That’s notable because the Phillies don’t typically beat legitimate left-handed starters — at least not lately.

Excluding situational openers, the Phillies haven’t won a game against a lefty starter since last September. Check out this ridiculous run that must end soon — if not tonight (BOLD indicates opener.) –

Date	Site	Opponent	LHP Starter	IP	Score	PHI H	PHI HR
04/26/2026	at	Braves	Chris Sale	6.0	L, 6-2	2	1
04/22/2026	at	Cubs	Matthew Boyd	4.2	L, 7-2	9	0
04/21/2026	at	Cubs	Shota Imanaga	7.0	L, 7-4	6	2
04/18/2026	vs	Braves	Chris Sale	7.0	L, 3-1	5	1
04/17/2026	vs	Braves	Martín Pérez	6.0	L, 9-0	6	0
04/15/2026	vs	Cubs	Shota Imanaga	6.0	L, 11-2	5	2
04/14/2026	vs	Cubs	Riley Martin	1.0	L, 10-4	8	1
04/07/2026	at	Giants	Robbie Ray	6.2	L, 6-0	4	0
04/04/2026	at	Rockies	Brennan Bernardino	0.2	W, 2-1	7	0
03/31/2026	vs	Nationals	PJ Poulin	1.0	W, 3-2	7	2
03/30/2026	vs	Nationals	Foster Griffin	5.0	L, 13-2	7	1
03/29/2026	vs	Rangers	MacKenzie Gore	5.1	L, 8-3	3	0
03/28/2026	vs	Rangers	Jacob Latz	4.0	L, 5-4 (10)	5	0
09/24/2025	vs	Marlins	Ryan Weathers	4.2	W, 11-1	12	8
09/21/2025	at	Diamondbacks	Eduardo Rodriguez	6.0	L, 9-2	11	0
09/17/2025	at	Dodgers	Blake Snell	7.0	L, 5-0	3	0
09/15/2025	at	Dodgers	Anthony Banda	0.1	W, 6-5 (10)	5	3
09/14/2025	vs	Royals	Noah Cameron	7.0	L, 10-3	5	3
09/11/2025	vs	Mets	David Peterson	5.0	W, 6-4	11	1
09/09/2025	vs	Mets	Sean Manaea	5.0	W, 9-3	13	3

So that’s what they’re up against tonight at the Bank (6:40 pm, ET, NBCSP).

Fortunately, the A’s have it even tougher: They have to deal with Zack Wheeler (1-0, 2.45), who is making his third start of the season.

Can the Phillies win their 4th consecutive game for the second time under Mattingly?

Let’s get into it …

Athletics vs Phillies Odds

Athletics vs Phillies Betting Picks & Predictions

The Pick: Phillies Moneyline (-170 at Bet365)

For what it’s worth, our internal analytical tools are even more giddy about tonight — suggesting taking the Phillies -1.5 (+125 at BetMGM).

I was burned by the runline on Monday, so I’m sticking with the moneyline again tonight (just like last night).

Why are we backing the boys in red pinstripes to win by at least two runs tonight? Because they are finally playing like the S-tier superstars their contracts suggest.

Over their last 10 games, the Phillies boast an impressive 8-2 record (an 80.00% win rate), stringing together opposite-field singles, finding the gaps, and playing winning baseball. Meanwhile, the Athletics have been sleepwalking through the past couple of weeks, posting a perfectly mediocre 5-5 record (a 50.00% win rate) over their last 10 contests.

Taking the Phillies on the run line offers fantastic value at +120, especially when you consider Oakland’s absolute misery on the road. The Athletics’ offense practically vanishes into thin air when they leave California, scratching together a measly 3.63 runs per game and hitting a sad .233 as the visiting team. It is mathematically difficult to cover run lines when your bats go colder than a Wawa hoagie left in the fridge overnight.

With the Phillies finding their groove and the Athletics allergic to scoring runs in hostile territory, expect the home team to cruise to a comfortable victory. Do not overthink this one – get a BetMGM bonus code, take the run line, and enjoy the show.

Philadelphia Phillies Player Prop Picks & Predictions

Two props hit last night: Cristopher Sanchez fanned 10 to easily clear his strikeout prop, and Bryce Harper delivered his 14th multi-homer game as a Phillie, literally jogging in circles around around his total base prop. We’re back for more …

Bryce Harper Over 1.5 Total Bases (+105 on theScore)

Breaking news: Bryce Harper is still very good at baseball, and opposing pitchers are still terrified of him. The Phillies’ superstar is on an absolute heater since Mattingly took over (see table).

AB	H	AVG	HR	BB	OBP	SLG	OPS
29	11	.379	3	6	.486	.828	1.313

He’s streaky, but we’re riding the wave until it’s wise to not. With 19 extra-base hits this season — including 9 home runs — in just 133 at-bats, it feels like half the time he makes contact, he is jogging past first base anyway. Backing Harper to grab at least two total bases tonight is less of a gamble and more of an inevitable conclusion to his plate appearances.

Zack Wheeler Over 6.5 Strikeouts (-117 on theScore)

Sanchez cashed last night against this same lineup. Granted, he had some favorable left-on-left matchups and charitable calls, but he carved up 10 strikeouts.

I’m backing Wheeler against an Oakland lineup that is an absolute goldmine for opposing pitchers hunting for Ks. Slugger Nick Kurtz — did you hear he grew up going to the Bank? — has struck out 51 times. Four other A’s have at least 30 Ks this season. Enter Zack Wheeler, who is carving up opposing lineups with surgical precision. Wheeler boasts a 11.45 strikeouts per nine innings, having already punched out 14 batters in just 11.0 innings of work. Asking him to fan 7 Oakland hitters is practically asking him to do the bare minimum.

Trea Turner Over 0.5 Runs Scored (-112 on DraftKings)

Did we see the Phillies erupting for 9 runs last night? We absolutely did not. In fact, the 8 runs they scored in their final 2 innings cost us hitting on the Under.

Turner contributed, too. He scored twice, and if the Phillies are going to keep hanging crooked numbers on the scoreboard, it starts at the top of the lineup. Turner has been getting on base, setting the table for the big bats behind him to do some damage. When you have a guy like Harper stepping into the batter’s box with a .571 slugging percentage right behind you, your chances of crossing home plate skyrocket. It is simple baseball math: get on base against a struggling staff, and let the MVP candidates clean it up.