Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Things have gotten so bad for the Phillies that they are inventing new ways to lose games.
The latest Frankenstein creation for losing baseball came by having their two best relievers implode at the most inopportune of times.
Jeff Hoffman, called on earlier than usual, asked to pitch with a four-run lead in the sixth inning, cratered. He allowed the Seattle Mariners to tie the game by giving up four runs.
Then, Carlos Estevez was asked to pitch more than one inning for just the second time this season. He lost control of his slider and then control of everything else as he hit a batter and then walked in the winning run in the bottom of the tenth, as the Phillies dropped their sixth straight game, 6-5 on Saturday.
“It’s something different every night,” said Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto.
The Phillies have now lost 13-of-17 and have dropped six consecutive series. The only good news for the Phillies was that both the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets also lost Saturday, meaning the Phillies lead in the N.L. East remained at five games.
Philadelphia led this game 5-0 and seemed to have a good plan in place to get through it and snap their losing skid. They opened with Orion Kerkering, had Kolby Allard pitch bulk innings, and then the plan was to turn to the big four at the back of the pen to close it out with one inning each.
The surprise was having Hoffman be the first of the four, as he usually doesn’t pitch that early in the game and he also normally doesn’t come into a game with a four-run lead. Yet that’s what he was asked to do.
Manager Rob Thomson said after the game that the plan was to use Hoffman, Estevez, Matt Strahm and Jose Alvarado for an inning each and that the order would be determined by where the Mariners were in their lineup.
With Seattle at the top of the order in the bottom of the sixth, Thomson went with Hoffman to face their pocket of righties, knowing that the second time this group came up, it would time for Estevez.
Hoffman, who has been the Phillies’ most reliable reliever all season, was all over the place.
He gave up a double to Randy Arozarena, and after striking out Cal Raleigh, plunked Justin Turner. Jorge Polanco laced a single off Hoffman to cut it to 5-2 and then after Hoffman struck out Dylan Moore, he walked Mitch Haniger, gave up a double to pinch hitter Luke Raley and an RBI single to Josh Rojas.
Just like that, the lead was gone.
The Phillies still went to Strahm and Alvarado in the seventh and eighth and leaned on Estevez in a tie game in the ninth. He had a clean inning, but after the Phillies failed to score in the top of the tenth, Estevez was asked to throw a second inning. After an intentional walk, he got the next two batters, but lost control of his slider, hit Moore and then walked Haniger, giving the Mariners the win.
“The command hasn’t quite been there,” Realmuto said of the Phillies bullpen struggles in recent games. “We’re walking more guys than we should. We’re hitting guys. … We are pitching from behind (in the count).”
The Phillies offense showed some signs of life early. Alec Bohm had three RBIs and Brandon Marsh had a two-run single that made it 5-0.
Even Bryce Harper had an encouraging night. He snapped his 0-for-24 skid with a double in the fourth inning that came on a 12-pitch at bat. Harper reached base three times in the game.
However, the Phillies weren’t able to get a key hit or move runners into scoring position in the right spots after the fourth inning, missing on some golden opportunities.
Realmuto struck out with two runners on base in the top of the seventh and then repeated it in the top of the tenth.
Nick Castellanos swung at a pitch that was more than a foot outside in the tenth, striking out and failing to advance the baserunners.
Bryson Stott flew out to end the Phillies half of the extra frame.
Combined, Realmuto, Castellanos and Stott were 0-for-14 with five strikeouts.
“We have so much talent in this clubhouse and the right guys to withstand something like this and come out better on the other side of it,” Realmuto said.
ON THE MEND
Thomson told reporters before Saturday’s game that Taijuan Walker (right index finger inflammation) will make his second rehab start on Tuesday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The plan is for him to throw four or five innings. There’s a chance he can join the team in Arizona next weekend and pitch in the series finale.
The news wasn’t as promising for Ranger Suarez. Originally targeting a return when his I.L. stint reaches its minimum length on Aug. 9, Suarez has had a little setback in that the back soreness he had been experiencing took longer to subside than expected.
Suarez will either throw a “touch and feel” on Sunday in Seattle, or have a bullpen session in Los Angeles on Monday, but it’s looking like he won’t return in Arizona as originally planned.
ON DECK
The Phillies turn to their ace, Zack Wheeler (10-5, 2.94 ERA) to try to halt the tailspin Sunday afternoon in the finale in Seattle. The Mariners will start Logan Gilbert (6-7, 3.11).
