Boston — May 12, 2026, 18:08 EDT
Tuesday night at Fenway Park, the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox start a three-game set, but the circumstances aren’t typical for mid-May. Both teams are struggling below .500, both working with interim managers, and each is looking for a spark to salvage postseason hopes after chaotic early weeks.
This series stands out—MLB.com notes via Elias Sports Bureau that for the first time since 2002, a pair of teams will face off within their first 45 games after both making managerial changes from Opening Day. But here’s the kicker: both squads made the playoffs last season, which wasn’t the case in previous instances.
Philadelphia shows up at 19-22, riding a 10-3 burst since Don Mattingly stepped in for Rob Thomson. Boston sits 17-23, with a 7-6 record under interim manager Chad Tracy after Alex Cora’s exit. That keeps the Red Sox at the bottom of the AL East, but a good week could push them closer to the wild-card line and shift the Fenway mood.
Zack Wheeler draws his fourth start this season for the Phillies, while Boston will go with lefty Jovani Morán as the opener ahead of Brayan Bello. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. ET, and fans can catch the action on NESN or listen on WEEI-FM 93.7.
Right now, Philadelphia looks to have the upper hand. Since coming back April 25 from thoracic outlet surgery—a fix for nerve or blood-vessel compression around the shoulder and neck—Wheeler has logged a 3.12 ERA. Opponents managed just a .180 average against him in his last two outings.
Boston’s situation isn’t as straightforward. Bello is sitting at 2-4 with a 7.44 ERA. Still, the Red Sox rolled out this identical opener approach just last week in Detroit—Bello came on in the second, gave up one run across seven innings, and Boston cruised to a 10-3 victory.
The Phillies are bringing the long ball. Kyle Schwarber’s on a tear, homering in four consecutive games—two came in Sunday’s 6-0 shutout of Colorado. He enters the week with 16 home runs, locked in a tie for the MLB lead with Yankees star Aaron Judge. “There’s obviously been some good results,” Schwarber said after Sunday’s game. CBS Sports
Fenway works just fine for this kind of streak. Schwarber knows the place—he logged 41 regular-season games with Boston back in 2021—and he’s hit .319 with nine homers in 26 regular-season appearances at the park, Boston Globe noted in its preview.
Mattingly’s been pressing the Phillies for a more clear-eyed look at their shortcomings. Last week he described the team’s internal review as a gut check: “where are we as a group?” Coaches and front-office personnel have been focusing less on the team’s name and more on the real question—are they actually playing sharp baseball? Mlb
Boston’s trouble spot: putting up runs at Fenway. The Red Sox are sitting at 7-12 on their home field, and in 12 of those 19 games, they’ve managed three runs or fewer. Production with runners in scoring position has been particularly rough lately—just 5-for-31 over the past four games, according to the Globe.
Injuries are muddying the picture for the Red Sox up the middle. Roman Anthony is still on the injured list. Willson Contreras missed Tuesday’s start—he took a pitch to the hand Sunday. Interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters initial scans didn’t show anything broken.
Boston still has a shot after Tuesday. The American League picture’s messy, with MLB.com pointing out the Red Sox trailed the last two AL wild-card teams by just two games as of Sunday. Over in the National League, Philadelphia’s playoff odds look stronger on FanGraphs, but the wild-card race is more crowded.
There’s a catch for both teams: this early surge could fade fast. Philadelphia’s 10-3 stretch happened against weaker opponents, according to CBS Sports, and Boston’s bats still haven’t found a way to cash in on baserunners at Fenway. One rough week wouldn’t sink either club, but it could make those new managers appear less like fresh starts and more like a scramble to contain losses.
