Jordan Romano gave up a grand slam Wednesday. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Just when it looked like the Phillies were ready to run roughshod over the league in August, they lost the final two games of their series with the Cincinnati Reds, including a 8-0 defeat at the hands of Miguel Andujar and company Wednesday.
A night after the Reds crushed Ranger Suárez, they got a dominant outing from ace Hunter Greene to secure a series win over the Phillies. In his first start since a right groin strain sidelined him in early June, Greene struck out six and allowed just three hits over six innings:
Hunter Greene, Wicked 90mph Slider. 🤢
6th K...and is Fired up! pic.twitter.com/AtERVQg1Cd
Meanwhile, Cristopher Sánchez also struck out six batters across six frames, but he gave up seven hits and four runs, three of which were earned.
While the fourth run wasn't charged to Sánchez, he had the biggest blunder on a Noelvi Marte little league home run, firing an errant throw to third base that went into the outfield:
LITTLE LEAGUE HOME RUN@MarteNoelvi pic.twitter.com/wvcuPcnULN
Jordan Romano entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, and while he wasn't pitching particularly well, it appeared he would get out of the inning when he induced a ground ball with runners on first and second and two outs. But Bryce Harper drifted over further towards second base than he should have on the Elly De La Cruz grounder, and by the time he got back to first base and fielded the throw from Bryson Stott, De La Cruz beat it out to load the bases. The scalding-hot Andujar would promptly unload them with a grand slam:
Miguel Andujar's last two games:
- First HR at GABP
- First Grand Slam as a Red@MAndujarPapa pic.twitter.com/t3YAVRYiYq
Romano probably should have been out of the inning before the grand slam, but his ERA has spiked to 7.24. With Aaron Nola and José Alvarado both potentially rejoining the team in the next week, it is fair to wonder what Romano's future with the team is. He pitched well in May, but outside of that, it's been a disastrous campaign for the former All-Star. Right now, it's hard to trust him even in low-leverage spots.
With the loss, the Phillies drop to 69-51. Meanwhile, the Reds, who are fighting for a Wild Card spot, improve to 64-58.
The Phillies will head to D.C. Thursday to begin a four-game series against the division-rival Washington Nationals, with Jesús Luzardo set to take the ball.
