Pirates Walk-Off the Phillies 5-4 in the First of Three in Pittsburgh

In Friday night’s series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Philadelphia Phillies failed to start fresh and put the last couple of series behind them after an uninspiring loss in walk-off fashion. Though there were positives to take away from the game, there were more negatives that have been affecting the outcome of these recent games more and more.

The concern and anticipation started before the game when it was announced that the Phillies would be throwing a bullpen game. This is partially due to the Phillies’ ace, Zack Wheeler, being on the paternity list and starter Aaron Nola making little progress in his recovery. This Phillies bullpen was already weak with tired arms and disappointing statistics, meaning a bullpen game during a rough stretch would lead to trouble eventually.

It also hurt to hear that Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper was out of the lineup with a sore right wrist, which he had been playing through for a bit of time. This impacts the team in a bigger way than it seems. Not only is removing an All-Star from the lineup bound to hurt, but removing his presence on the baseball field is also going to bite the Phillies. During his prior injury, the Phillies lost four out of the five games he missed, which marked the official start of the Phillies’ skid.

Pitching Worries Start to Rise

What was once the best pitching staff in the entire league has cooled down into a troublesome topic for Philadelphia fans.

Today’s bullpen game did not go the way the Phillies hoped it would, as four runs in the first four innings helped keep the Pirates in the game.

After the first two runs were given up, the Phillies decided to go to rookie Alan Rangel, who had played in the Minors prior to making his Major League debut tonight. The 27-year-old started off with a four-pitch walk, which then led to a full count home run to tie the game for Pittsburgh. Although Rangel had never seen an MLB scorecard in his career, this point in time was not the place for him to enter a meaningful game.

This game, regarding the bullpen, shows how meaningful and precious the starting pitching really is to the Phillies, and that it needs to find its way back before the All-Star break.

Players on the Rise

Out of all these negatives, there are still a few positives that came out of this game or carried over from their previous series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Trea Turner, who had a solid series up north in Toronto, made an impact tonight that kept the Phillies in this game and ahead at times. Turner, in five at-bats, had three hits, which brings his average up to .306. Turner was involved in every score tonight for the Phillies, as he brought in two and was brought in twice. Through this tough stretch, Turner has continued to fight in these games no matter the outcome.

Unlike Turner, Orion Kerkering has not had a good season, as his ERA was above four at times. With his velocity easily sitting over 95 mph, command and off-speed would be key in a comeback this season. Kerkering did just that, as his ERA is now under 3.00 at 2.96 after a scoreless inning to keep the game tied at four apiece. In a bullpen taking bad shape, a strong, dependable reliever, especially one who had previously struggled, is going to be important as the Phillies attempt to break free from their slump.

Phillies Fall in the Ninth

Similar to their 2-1 loss in Toronto on Wednesday, closer Jordan Romano was not able to keep the Phillies alive and send them into extras, as a bases-loaded, no-outs situation was too much. A sacrifice fly from Nick Gonzales sealed the game and started the series with power.

The Phillies look to end the struggles tomorrow at 4:05 P.M. as Ranger Suarez, a promising piece, takes the mound for the Phils.

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