SAN FRANCISCO – The stunned looks were nowhere to be found, nor drooping heads or sulking attitudes. The Phillies entered the clubhouse at Oracle Park Wednesday morning merely 12 hours after one of the most unbelievable losses in recent memory and were doing what you have to do in baseball – move onto the next game.

Jordan Romano, who gave up the three-run, inside-the-park home run to Patrick Bailey that gave the Giants an improbable 4-3 seemed to be his jovial self as he moved about the locker, though he admitted post game on Tuesday that he’s frustrated But these things happen and all the players and manager can do is turn the page.

In one of the wackiest plays you’ll see, Bailey’s ball hit off the top of the fence in right field and shot like a bullet towards center, past Brandon Marsh and kind of into no man’s land. By the time the ball was retrieved and thrown back into the infield, Bailey was crossing home plate before getting mobbed by teammates in front of the Phillies dugout. 

“It hit something on that wall,” said manager Rob Thomson. “There was nothing that you could do about it.”

Earlier in the game, with the Phillies again struggling to hit with runners in scoring position, slugger Kyle Schwarber stole second base in the sixth with Alec Bohm at bat. Then, with the count 3-0 on Bohm, Schwarber went again in an attempt to steal third. Only this time, Bailey threw a strike to Matt Chapman to get Schwarber. Bohm walked on the pitch and the Phillies got a single from Nick Castellanos and a double from Otto Kemp to score their first run of the game and break an 0-for-26 skid with runners in scoring position.

Had Schwarber just stayed at second …

“I would have probably done that nine out of 10 times and probably going to be safe,” Schwarber reasoned after the game. Asked about it Wednesday, Thomson had a little bit different take: “He better be safe in that situation. I mean, really. I know he’s trying and he thought he could get it. But you’ve got to be safe in that situation. ” 

What’s the update on Orion Kerkering?

Reliever Orion Kerkering had a tough outing on Monday night when he hit Willy Adames, gave up a single to Matt Chapman, hit Wilmer Flores to load the bases then gave up two runs on a pair of fielder’s choices. After 25 pitches, Kerkering was pulled in what became a 3-1 Phillies loss. After the game, Thomson explained that he pulled Kerkering in order to have him available for Tuesday, when Taijuan Walker was starting. But Kerkering was unavailable Tuesday but should be one of the few bullpen arms available Wednesday.

“He was sore when he came in Tuesday, Thomson explained. “I thought he would be. He came in cranky, so we shut him down. I don’t know whether it was dampness, but the ball was slick to him. It wasn’t for anybody else it didn’t seem like, but to him it was. He couldn’t get the feel of his slider on the ball. That’s why you saw a couple of hit batsmen.”

More pitching updates

Thomson said that Aaron Nola had a 30-pitch session down in Clearwater and that “it went very well. Saturday is the next one.” As for suspended reliever Jose Alvarado, who is serving his 80 game punishment for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy, Thomson said he is working out and throwing and should be ready to go when he eligible in the middle of August. As part of his punishment, Alvarado will not be able to participate in the postseason.

Phillies’ history

The unimaginable loss on Tuesday against the Giants put the Phillies record at 3-18 since the 2019 season. No real rhyme or reason as players, managers and circumstances change, but there just seems to be something about this place for the Phillies.