After ice cold stretch, Brandon Marsh is suddenly on fire

There was a time, not too long ago, when Brandon Marsh looked completely lost. Forty-one strikeouts in 102 plate appearances, and a whole lot of other types of outs, between July 12 and Aug. 22 brought his numbers on the season — once reflective of a breakout — down to a meager .238/.314/.400. He wasn’t hitting lefties. He wasn’t hitting righties.

But much as the Phillies have pulled themselves out of their second-half slog in the last couple weeks, so has Marsh. He had three more hits (including a double) on Wednesday in the Phillies’ 4-2 win over the Blue Jays. Since Aug. 23, he’s hitting .378 with a 1.138 OPS.

It’s not as though Marsh has completely done away with the strikeout bug. Even while he was heating up, he’d struck out 10 times in 29 plate appearances before the last four games. But he’s struck out just once in the last four games, drawing four walks in the process.

The upswing is coming at the right time. With 23 games remaining in the regular season, the Phillies still have to figure out exactly what outfield combination suits them best for October. His spot in the lineup, at least for now, seems to be entrenched against righties.

That felt like a given two months ago because Marsh was one of the Phillies’ best hitters of the first half. It’s been iffy since then, especially with the club trading for Austin Hays with the mindset that he’s not totally unplayable against righties — and still wanting to let him sink or swim against them.

So Marsh, who can be a streaky hitter, is running into one of the good streaks at a good time. He went 2-for-4 with a double on Aug. 23 in Kansas City on the heels of a 5-for-39 stretch. The Phillies haven’t lost a series since.

Must-read Phillies content

• Marsh’s last three hits came in Wednesday’s win over the Blue Jays. Tim Kelly recaps.
• Ty Daubert wrote about Aidan Miller’s reflections on already being promoted to Double-A.

MORE FROM PHILLIES NATION

1. Phillies 2024 Walk-Up Songs
2. Phillies Prospect Aidan Miller Earns Aggressive Push To Double-A: ‘It Says A Lot About Him’
3. Prospect Seth Johnson Settling In With Phillies Organization After Deadline Trade, ‘Weird’ Start To Career
4. Bryce Harper On Nagging Soreness: ‘Not Concerned’
5. Nick Castellanos Gives Most Nick Castellanos Answer Ever
6. IronPigs Pitcher Experiments With Knuckleball In Minors: ‘If I Got The Go-Ahead, Why Not?’
7. Aaron Rowand Recounts Iconic Nose-Breaking Catch, Phillies Memories
8. ‘I Don’t Think It’s Going To Stick’: Phillies Pitchers React To Six-Inning Minimum Rule Being Considered
9. Nick Castellanos Aiming To Become First Phillie Since 2007 To Start 162 Games
10. Phillies 2024 Giveaway Schedule

WATCH THIS WEEK’S EPISODE OF PHILLIES NATION TV