Phillies’ Bullpen Ruins Andrew Painter’s Outstanding Return Start in Opener Against Orioles
Photo via MLB.com
Andrew Painter, the Phillies’ rookie right-hander, had an excellent return start, and yet the Phillies were unable to capitalize on it, blowing another lead.
The second half has been downright dreadful for the Phillies, as the Fightins’ have jumped out to a 3-9 record, losing four straight series, including most recently getting swept by the Miami Marlins. That series continued to show off the inconsistencies from this group, making them look like a team that was treading along to the trade deadline.
Offense has been an up-and-down affair over the past two weeks, and whether they’re able to score runs or not, the Phillies have struggled to win games due to the struggles in their bullpen. Their starters have been good, but most outings have been worthless, as they could allow one or two runs and still end up with the loss.
Well, in their opener against the Baltimore Orioles, the Phillies did something for the second consecutive game: blow a multi-run lead in the later innings of the game, causing them to lose for a fourth game in a row.
It’s a shame that this Phillies team, who continue to disappoint night in and night out, have numerous issues that seemingly change by the day. Starting pitching wasn’t the issue; in fact, it was a huge bonus for this team as Andrew Painter got the start after spending the better part of the last six weeks in the minor leagues. Painter shoved big time, tossing six innings of two-run baseball, retiring 17 of the next 21 batters he faced after allowing two runs to start the game.
However, no lead is safe for this Phillies bullpen, as in the inning after Painter exited, the Phillies’ bullpen allowed four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, which ended up being the nail in the coffin in Philadelphia’s 6-4 loss to Baltimore.
Before Painter took the mound, he instantly got some run support from the top of the Phillies’ lineup. Trea Turner led off the game with a chopped infield single, and Kyle Schwarber walked, putting two runners on for Bryce Harper. Harper kept the line moving, smacking an opposite-field base hit, scoring Turner for the game’s first run.
After a flyout from Alec Bohm that advanced Schwarber to third, Brandon Marsh grounded a ball in the hole between first and second. It may not have been good enough for a hit, but it was deep enough to prevent a double play, scoring another Phillies run.
With a two-run lead before he threw a pitch, Painter took the mound for his first start in the majors since June 17. Unfortunately for Painter, the night didn’t start the way he hoped it would, as Dylan Beavers smoked a leadoff double after Painter left a hanger over the middle, and familiar foe, Pete Alonso, dug in and smoked a two-run bomb to right-center field to tie things up at two.
Despite allowing the two early runs, Painter locked in with three quick outs to get through the inning. The second and third weren’t easy for the young rookie, as he allowed early baserunners thanks to walks and, in the third, a single from Alonso. But Painter was able to work around them. The third inning especially was the impressive one, as Painter worked through the heart of the Orioles order with two runners on and no outs, picking up a pair of strikeouts in the process.
Thankfully, the good at-bats continued for the Phillies, as in his second at bat, Turner smoked a deep fly ball to left field for a solo bomb, giving the Phillies the lead.
The fourth and fifth innings flew by, especially for the Orioles’ offense, as Painter continued to deal, and his offense continued to give him run support, with J.T. Realmuto smoking a long fly ball to left as well for another solo home run.
With five innings in the book, in the past, the Phillies have been known to end Painter’s night around that mark, hoping to keep his confidence up, but Don Mattingly sent Painter back out for the sixth. It ended up being the right call, as the Phillies’ defense helped him through the sixth thanks to an inning-ending double play. Painter’s night was over following the sixth, ending his night with six strikeouts over six innings.
With nine outs needed to pick up the win and end the three-game losing streak, the Phillies turned to their bullpen, more specifically Orion Kerkering, to start the chase for the win. However, that tone quickly changed.
Kerkering allowed a single to Jackson Holliday and a walk to Colton Cowser, putting two runners on for pinch-hitter Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Encarnacion-Strand smoked a double into the gap in left-center field, scoring not one but both runs to tie the game up at four.
With the game tied and the go-ahead run at second, Kerkering had two batters left to try and pick up the final two outs of the inning. He picked up one out thanks to a strikeout from Beavers, and he had Alonso down 0-2, but he hit him on the third pitch of the at-bat, putting another runner on base.
Mattingly elected to bring in a lefty for Gunnar Henderson. It sounds like the right move, but of course, that ended up being the wrong move once again. Tim Mayza was the call, and Mayza left a sinker in the nitro zone, with Henderson smoking a go-ahead triple to right-center field, making it 6-4.
The Phillies had blown a multi-run lead for the second game in a row and now had just six outs left to retake the lead. Unfortunately for this Phillies team, the clutch late-inning gene has been nonexistent as of late, and that continued in Baltimore. Philadelphia went down in order in the eighth and ninth innings, losing 6-4 for their fourth straight defeat, and their fourth series since the All-Star break where they’ve lost the opener to a series.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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