Phillies Respond in Miami with Six-Run First, Luzardo Deals Again

The Phillies answered a shutout loss in Miami with their loudest inning of the season, hanging six runs in the first to take control immediately. Bryson Stott delivered the decisive blow, and Jesus Luzardo handled the rest, powering a 7–2 win over the Miami Marlins.

Miami seems to be the place the Phillies go to get better, and with interim manager Don Mattingly having history with the Marlins, there may be added motivation to bounce back from the 4-0 shutout.

The Phils certainly did that. In the first inning, they were determined not to be shut out, putting up six runs in the first inning, with the major blow being on a Stott three-run home run, his second of the series. The Phils tacked on another. The Marlins answered back with two runs, but the Phillies’ bullpen closed the door en route to the Phillies’ most complete victory of the season.

Offense Wakes Up In the First Inning

The Phillies came out swinging in the first inning, and while the home run from Stott was the cap to the six-run explosion, the real note worthy thing is how well the entire Phillies lineup commanded the strike zone, and kept Marlins starter Chris Paddack behind in every at-bat. The Phils offense hasn’t been the most patient in this young season, but in the first inning, they showed some signs of changing, which is a comforting thought with the way this season has started for the Phils. After getting one-hit, they bounced back and did so quickly.

Not only did they hit up and down the lineup, but in the first inning, two of the biggest hitters on the Phillies roster didn’t swing at bad pitches. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper both worked back to back walks with pitches that were close to the strike zone, pitches they were swinging at earlier in the season, and either missing or making weak contact with. There was a trust that the rest of the lineup would make Paddack pay, and they did just that. The patience paid off with strong at bats from Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, and J.T. Realmuto, scoring three in front of the Stott home run. The first inning is an example of the Phils offense at it’s best. Patience and keeping the line moving in front of a long ball.

Luzardo Pitches Well For the Second Straght Game

If you look at Luzardo’s line from this game, it won’t tell the whole story of how strong his outing was. He was in absolute cruise control until the seventh inning when Leo Jiminez took a backdoor slider off his foot and Esteuary Ruiz hit a home run to put up two as Luzardo approached the century mark in pitches. This ended his 13 inning scoreless streak.

Before that, he was dominating the Marlins hitters by not just locating his pitches, but with changing speeds and keeping hitters in the rocking chair, and not able to sit fastball. Both factors led to his breaking pitches being that much more effective when used. He entered the game third in the National League with a 35.8% chase rate, just ahead of teammate Cristopher Sanchez. His fastball topped out at 99 MPH, which made the changeup a dominant pitch in this game. The Marlins couldn’t figure out the changeup with five strikeouts. One thing to note is that as he got closer to the 100 pitch milestone in the game, his velocity tailed off. The home run to Ruiz was the second slowest fastball with the lowest spin rate — 94.9 MPH with a spin rate of 2181. All in all, this is a great start and something that Luzardo can build on.

Mattingly Magic on Full Display

This win has made it obvious that, as beloved as Rob Thomson was in the Phillies clubhouse, a new voice was needed. If you need evidence, look at how well the Philliles have played since Mattingly took the helm of the team. The offense is playing at a top level again, but the real story is how well the starting pitching is throwing the ball right now. Not only are the Phillies 5-1 since Mattingly took over, but the pitching staff as a whole is looking more like last year’s staff. With Zack Wheeler getting closer to form, and Jhoan Duran hitting 100 in his bullpen with no discomfort, this will only help the bullpen get stronger as the season goes.

The other side of the lineup is equally producing and answered back well after Mattingly’s first loss as the Phillies’ skipper. The eye-test shows that the Phils are being more selective at the plate, and reducing the amout of “hero-ball” that they have to play. This game showed how much each side of the ball depends on the other. Luzardo threw the ball well, but he also came out with a six run lead before he even threw a pitch. That certainly calms down a pitcher, but Luzardo threw so well that it may have not been necessary, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

The Phils look to close out the series with another win with an odd Monday series close-out game, with Aaron Nola looking to keep the stellar starting pitching going, and winning another series.

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