Tonight’s Phillies-Dodgers game won’t air on TV; Scott Franzke on team’s dramatic rebound

The Phillies will face Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers this weekend in Los Angeles, but Friday night’s game won’t air on NBC Sports Philadelphia or anywhere else on network TV.

It’s Apple TV day for those who celebrate, with the game streaming exclusively as part of the tech giant’s exclusive Friday Night Baseball doubleheader at 10:15 p.m.

It’s the fifth season of Apple TV’s seven-year, $595 million deal with MLB, which runs through the 2028 season. Over that time, the cost has nearly doubled from $6.99 to $12.99 a month, though Apple TV is offering a free one-month trial.

Despite the annoyances that come with being forced to stream a Phillies game, Apple TV does have a few perks other streamers lack.

Chief among them is the ability to switch the audio feed over to 94.1 WIP, with Scott Franzke and Kevin Stocker’s call perfectly synched with Apple TV’s crystal-clear footage and minimalist graphics (though the constant probabilities and live gambling updates become a bit annoying).

“For us, it’s business as usual,” Franzke said of being available on Apple TV. “There might be a few extra people listening or consuming the game that way, but for us it doesn’t really change a whole lot.”

As far as Apple TV’s regular broadcast is concerned, calling tonight’s game will be Wayne Randazzo, the TV voice of the Los Angeles Angels and the cousin of MLB umpire Tony Randazzo. He’ll be joined by one-time Phillies pitcher turned analyst Dontrelle Willis, with Heidi Watney reporting from Dodgers Stadium.

Funnily enough, Franzke, Randazzo, and Willis all share a Midwest connection: They all spent time with the Kane County Cougars, a minor league team in Geneva, Ill.

The first game of Apple TV’s doubleheader tonight features the Minnesota Twins taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

If you don’t want to pay to watch tonight’s Phillies game, you can still listen to it on WIP. The game will also likely be on at your local bar or restaurant, thanks to Apple TV’s deal with DirecTV, though it’s best to call ahead to confirm.

The Phillies will be back on NBC Sports Philadelphia late Saturday night, with Tom McCarthy and John Kruk in the booth.

While it’s the final game the Phillies are currently scheduled to play on Apple TV, Bryce Harper and company will almost certainly appear on a few Friday Night Baseball games following the All-Star break. Apple will announce it’s second-half schedule sometime in June.

The Phillies have undergone a radical transformation this season after parting ways with former manager Rob Thomson, who was fired after a subpar 9-19 start.

Under new manager Don Mattingly, the team is 20-8 and has won all but two series, clawing their way back into contention about a third of the way through the season.

Franzke has called every game and been close to the team throughout the swing, but doesn’t think Mattingly is operating all that differently than Thomson, apart from a few tweaks here and there.

“I don’t think the vibe has changed much,” Franzke said. “In a lot of respects, they’re very similar people. Similar age, similar backgrounds. They both came out of the Yankees from the same managerial style of Joe Torre ... and handle veteran stars similarly.”

“This is about players playing better,” Franzke added.

He also pointed to the schedule. During the Phillies 10-game losing streak last month, all those losses came against the two hottest teams in the league — the Braves and Chicago Cubs. Under Mattingly, the Phillies have been able to stack wins against sub-.500 teams like the Miami Marlins, Athletics, Colorado Rockies, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

In fact, under Mattingly the Phillies have played just three teams with winning records — the Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, and Cincinnati Reds.

“The schedule has loosened up a bit,” Franzke said.

There’s also the pitching. Phillies ace Zack Wheeler (4-0, 1.67 ERA), who is starting tonight against Justin Wrobleski (6-2, 3.07 ERA), missed the first month of the season after having surgery to remove a blood clot from his throwing shoulder. He came back the game before Thomson was fired.

Thomson was also largely without closer Jhoan Duran, who missed most of April with a strained oblique muscle in his left side.

There’s also Cristopher Sánchez, who is on a historic tear his past five starts, which includes breaking a 115-year-old franchise record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched.

“Charlie Manuel was the first to tell you, I think it was when he set the all-time record for most wins by a Phillies manager, he said, ‘Well, it means I’ve had good players,’” Franzke said.