PHILADELPHIA — Don Mattingly's message in his first meeting with media members as Phillies interim manager Tuesday afternoon was to the point: "We need to play better baseball, it's as simple as that."
At least for a night, the Phillies did that, defeating the San Francisco Giants 7-0 to improve to 10-19, and 1-0 under Mattingly.
Jesús Luzardo — who entered the evening as one of the most disappointing Phillies so far this season, with a 6.91 ERA through five starts — dazzled over seven shutout innings. Luzardo allowed just two hits, walking zero batters and striking out eight.
Brandon Marsh's sacrifice fly was the only run in the game through the first five-and-a-half innings before the Phillies doubled in four more runs — all of which were charged to San Francisco starter Tyler Mahle — in the bottom of the sixth. Sandwiched in between RBI doubles from Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm was a two-run double to the opposite field by Adolis García that nearly left the yard:
Adolis García breaks it open in the sixth!
(via @NBCSPhilly) pic.twitter.com/WeKbEfznL8
— OnPattison (@OnPattison) April 29, 2026
García had a .684 OPS entering the evening, which a Phillies team that has struggled to get production both in the middle of their order and from right-handed bats, needs more than.
After Luzardo left the game, Orion Kerkering and Tim Mayza were able to finish off the final two innings of the evening, with Justin Crawford and Trea Turner each singling in insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
One night is one night. The Phillies are still nine games under .500. It will not be easy to climb out of this early-season hole. But the first game with Mattingly as the interim skipper went about as well as it could have.
