Phillies Leave 11 on Base, Diamondbacks Make Them Pay
Sep 21, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (7) comes in to score after hitting a home run in the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images
As we inch closer to the playoffs, there are a few certainties for the Phillies going into October — the outfield is set, the left side of the infield is coming back from injuries, Kyle Schwarber will be the DH, Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo will headline the Phils’ rotation, and Johan Duran will be locking down the 9th. There are many other question marks, including who will step up for the 3-5 starting slots and how the Phillies will correct the times that they just can’t get hits with runners in scoring position.
This was another game where the Phils just could not get a base hit when they had runners on. Today, they went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position with Nick Castellanos‘ RBI single in the 8th inning, and to be honest, this is the reason they lost the game today. Granted, Ranger Suarez did give up 6 runs, but the Phillies’ non-competitive at-bats in key moments are the reason this game was a 9-2 loss.
Several Phils batters had noteworthy performances, including Alec Bohm going 4-4, and every Phils hitter had a hit, except Schwarber, which stings a little more because this is a pattern in the games where the clutch hitting disappears for the Phils. Bohm’s hot bat is a promising sign for the Phils moving forward, as he finished with eight hits in the series coming off the IL.
While it’s easy to look at Suarez’s line today and say that is the reason they are taking home the loss today and the series loss, there weren’t as many hard hits as you would think. There were only 5 hits which Statcast would consider hard hit balls: Ketel Marte‘s double to lead off the game, and Corbin Carroll‘s long 3-run home run in the second. The Diamondbacks were hitting dink hits off of him, but they were stringing a bunch of them together, and it seemed like that was going to continue, necessitating Rob Thomson to go to the bullpen in the 5th inning.
Max Lazar pitched a scoreless 5th, but outside of his effort, the bullpen was porous, and each gave up a run. Orion Kerkering gave up yet another home run, making it 2 in his last 3 appearances, and over his last 12 appearances, he has pitched 9 innings, giving up 7 runs and walking 7. It feels like it’s time to start getting concerned about Kerkering’s ability to shut down high-leverage spots late in the game for the Phils. Topper has leaned more on David Robertson in the moments that Kerkering shone in for much of the season, and that is starting to become a reason to have concern. Jhoan Duran gave up a run in the 8th, but that was mostly due to giving up a double to the red-hot Carroll and a fielder’s choice to Bryson Stott, who played a fantastic shortstop today.
It’s hard to truly judge the bullpen in a game like today, especially Duran, who thrives in emotional situations, and this was a moment to get Duran some game work. Had Topper not gotten him into the game today, it would have been 6 days before he had a chance to pitch with the day off tomorrow. The true concern from today’s game is the bullpen’s ability, as well as the RISP hits completely disappearing in key moments. This game was an anomaly for Suarez, and outside of the second inning, he didn’t pitch as badly as the line score would show. It appears that he will be penciled in as the 3rd starter for the Phils in the playoffs, and truthfully, he has earned it, but starts like today are a little nerve-racking, especially facing a playoff hopeful opponent like Arizona. Something to think about is that in 2 starts against the Diamondbacks this season, Suarez owns a 15.26 ERA, going 7.2 innings and giving up 13 runs. He’s been solid against everyone else, so let’s hope Arizona doesn’t sneak into the Wild Card.
This series loss ends the Phils’ series-winning streak at 6, and the magic number is at 2 for a first-round bye in the playoffs, with the Giants beating the Dodgers. This being the last road series of the regular season is a positive thing, because the next 6 games are at home, and the Phils have the best home record in baseball. While this game hurts, it’s not too concerning.
Steve Hamilton
Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible, we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.
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