PHILADELPHIA — Jesus Luzardo allowed 16 earned runs in his first 11 starts as a Phillie. He nearly doubled that total Saturday.

Luzardo allowed 12 hits and 12 earned runs in his 12th start, a disaster that didn’t survive the fourth inning in a 17-7 “embarrassment” — J.T. Realmuto’s word — to the Milwaukee Brewers.

The 12 hits is a career high. He’s the first Phillie to allow 12 or more earned runs since Al Jurisich in 1947. His ERA went from 2.15, eighth-best in baseball, to 3.58.

Two factors confound the performance.

Luzardo was as confused as anyone, saying it was, “probably the best I’ve felt physically” in a month or so. The 12 starts match the number he made as a Marlin in 2024 before injuries shut him down.

Manager Rob Thomson isn’t concerned about the implosion being related to Luzardo having exceeded his innings pitched from last year.

“The velocity is still there,” Thomson said. “I think the stuff is still there. Just there’s some days when you don’t execute as well as others. But I don’t think it has to do with workload.”

Luzardo was coming off consecutive 10-strikeout performances.

His ERA was under 2 after a six-inning outing in Colorado on May 20, and he was receiving unexpected Cy Young hype. That came to an end around the time of Rhys Hoskins’ second 3-run homer of the game in the fourth inning.

The Phillies trailed 4-0 four batters in. Jackson Chourio singled and stole second. William Contreras walked. Christian Yelich drove home Chourio with a single to center, and Hoskins belted a 408-foot home run to center.

Whatever remained intact unraveled in the fourth. Sal Frelick led off with a double, a ball Thomson said needed to be caught by Brandon Marsh by calling off Nick Castellanos. Luzardo spiked a throw to first on Caleb Durbin’s bunt attempt, allowing Frelick to score.

Luzardo appeared to have Durbin picked off at second, but he was called for a balk by third-base umpire Derek Thomas. Luzardo protested, Thomson came out to argue and the manager was ejected.

“I think they did a great job of not throwing me out, and in the heat of the moment, I probably was a little hot-headed,” Luzardo said. “But I just wanted an explanation as to what was the balk. I thought I gained ground, even though I fell towards the plate, and always kept my body moving, even though it was slow.

“Basically, I got a couple of different answers, and that’s what frustrated me the most, saying that I stopped at the top of my delivery, which I didn’t. The call coming from third base is what I think frustrated me the most.”

“His explanation to me was that at the top of his leg lift, he stopped,” Thomson said. “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that, so that’s why he called the balk. My question to him was, why didn’t the umpire at first base call it?”

Luzardo walked Brice Turang, gave up a third hit in four innings to Chourio to chase home two, then an RBI single to Contreras and Hoskins’ second three-run bomb. Luzardo’s day ended with Daz Cameron’s double, eventually scoring on a Frelick single off Joe Ross.

All nine Brewers starters had at least a hit and an RBI. Chourio was 4-for-5 with five RBIs and three runs scored, homering off Jose Ruiz in the sixth. Yelich had four hits.

Luzardo is confident it’s a one-game blip, and he’s focused on making sure it proves to be.

“That’s what they pay us for, being able to flush outings like that,” he said. “Obviously, it’s frustrating. … But at the end of the day, tomorrow’s a new day.”

“You’ve just got to flush it,” Realmuto said. “I told Zeus, as soon as he walks off the mound, this one’s over. You’ve got to let it go. So we’ve got to do the same thing as a team.”

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NOTES >> Bryce Harper (elbow) swung the bat and threw, Thomson reporting that he felt better despite increased bruising. The club is still insistent that Harper, hit Tuesday by a Spencer Strider fastball, won’t need an injured list stint. … Thomson said not to read too much into Kyle Schwarber taking reps at first base Friday. It’s something the designated hitter does from time to time, though Harper’s status may lend a bit of added urgency. … Brandon Marsh homered off left-handed reliever Tyler Alexander in the ninth. It’s his first homer off a lefty this year (and just second overall). He had been 3-for-18 with one RBI off lefties. He had one homer off a lefty in 90 plate appearances last year. … In what may prove a valuable bullpen-saver, Weston Wilson threw two scoreless innings, allowing two singles. He’s thrown three scoreless innings in his career. … Aaron Nola (ankle) will throw an extended bullpen Sunday. The aim is to get him in front of hitters later in the week. … The Phillies will look to avoid the sweep Sunday with Ranger Suarez (4-0, 2.97 ERA) on the mound. He’s opposed by fellow lefty Jose Quintana (4-1, 2.65) in a rematch of Game 4 of the 2024 NLCS, when Quintana was with the New York Mets.