​The Phillies did what they needed to do against the Mets, effectively letting the Mets beat themselves and securing two wins in a ballpark where Philadelphia doesn’t win often. With two victories in New York, they’ll head home to face a Pirates club that started strong but has faded in June and now sits at a .500 record. Regarding Brandon Lowe, his career began brilliantly as a Rays rookie, earning All-Star honors and finishing high in Rookie of the Year voting, with a 39-home run season in 2021. Yet he never became a true superstar, delivering 20-plus home runs each year but posting an average on-base percentage and declining defense at second base, which contributed to the Rays deeming him expendable. Traded this offseason in a three-team deal, Lowe opened with the Pirates as their second baseman, and the move appears to have revitalized him. He’s already hit 20 homers, and his defense has improved, with speculation that he could break the Pirates’ single-season record for homers by a primary second baseman in a season (23). Some even joked that he might reach 30 homers before the All-Star break, and there’s talk of a possible second All-Star selection, though Phillies supporters could influence eligibility by supporting Bryson Stott. Lowe is set to be a free agent at season’s end, which complicates a potential long-term commitment for a team with a modest payroll if he’s enjoying a career year at 31. The article also recalls Andy Van Slyke’s Pirates and Phillies connection: a standout Pirates center fielder who earned multiple All-Star selections, Silver Slugger awards, and Gold Gloves over eight Pirates seasons before leaving as a free agent after 1994. He signed with the Orioles for 1995, then moved to the Phillies, where he started in center and briefly helped with outfield arrangements. His Phillies debut featured a home run against the Mets, but an early injury sidelined him, and he struggled upon return, batting .243 in 63 games during a disappointing second half for the Phillies that season.