The offense for the Phillies have come under fire of late. Last night’s loss to the Nationals brought up some painful reminders that at times, this team can be a bit streaky.
Just like any team in baseball.
However, if there was any team in the game that needed to have a good night at the plate, it was the Phillies and, even after letting MacKenzie Gore off the hook early in the game, they battled back and took a game from Washington with a much needed power outburst from their two biggest bats.
Oh, and Zack Wheeler was good too.
This game wasn’t without its frustrations though. In the aforementioned first inning, the team did have Gore on his heels. Trea Turner started with a single and a first pitch steal, then went to third on a passed ball. Kyle Schwarber walked and scored when Bryce Harper doubled and the ball was thrown away.
J.T. Realmuto walked, Nick Castellanos flew out and Harrison Bader was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. The frustrating thing was that the two runs on the Harper double was all they could muster. When the Nationals came up in their half of the first, it looked like it would cost them.
Zack Wheeler has been the subject of debate about his velocity and command lately, and when he came into this start, it looked like only the velocity had returned. He walked James Wood to start the game, then gave up an RBI double to CJ Abrams to cut the lead to one without recording an out in the first. To his credit, he got out of that jam, but was right back into it in the second. Dylan Crews had a one out single, then went to second on a wild pitch by Wheeler. A single by Riley Adams to right field looked like it might score a run, but Castellanos gunned down Crews at the plate to preserve the lead.
Wheeler only made another mistake in the fourth when he served up a home run to Daylen Lile, but the rest of the night, he still seemed a bit off. The command was somewhat better and some of the Nationals hitters battled him well, but he was done after five innings yet again.
The issue was that the offense could get nothing going against Gore. Once the Nationals left hander got out of the first inning, he settled in nicely and kept the Phillies off the board. After six innings, it came down to a battle of the bullpens and for the Phillies, that would have been a desirable outcome. The Nationals have a bad bullpen and tonight, it cost them.
Clayton Beeter, in the seventh, could not throw strikes, walking Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh with one out and had to be replaced. Connor Pilkington was the next one up and got Turner to fly out before facing Schwarber with two outs. It didn’t end well for Pilkington.
Then Harper came up and it really really didn’t go well for Pilkington.
These were two home runs the team desperately needed, breaking open the game and letting Thomson get some of his trusted relievers in. Tanner Banks, Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm kept the Nationals off the board, meaning Jhoan Duran got to get some work in.
Now, Duran hasn’t pitched since Sunday. The team has lost three straight games and needed to get a win. It was a good time to get him some work in. Unfortunately for the Phillies…
That’s just bad luck. Nothing wrong with bringing in Duran there; it’s just bad luck one of the hardest hit balls of the night hit his ankle.
David Robertson came in to clean up the mess a bit and give the win to the Phillies, so now we wait to see what the x-rays on Duran say.
For the offense, it was nice that the two big bats got going, but it would be helpful if they got a few more going as well. They’ll get back at it tomorrow night.