Phillies Vs. D-Backs: Rotation Woes Continue as Phillies Fail to Extend Winning Streak

Phillies fail to extend winning streak, rotation woes continue to be a concern originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Somebody actually asked Phillies manager Rob Thompson before Monday night’s game at Citizens Bank Park if he had confidence in righthander Zack Wheeler who, in a couple hours, would take the mound and start against the Diamondbacks.

Spoiler alert. He said he did.

Wheeler has earned that respect. At the same time, modern managers have been conditioned not to openly criticize players. Seldom is heard a discouraging word. Even the mildest criticism is generally reserved for behind tightly closed doors.

Wheeler went out and pitched all right. He went six innings and gave up four runs, three of them earned. Technically, it was a quality start. On this night, though, it wasn’t good enough. The Phillies lost, 6-3, and were unable to extend their winning steak to three or get back to within a game of .500.

Thomson pointed out that not all of the eight hits Wheeler allowed were well-struck, while allowing that the home runs he gave up to Loudes Gurriel Jr. leading off a three-run second and to Pavin Smith in the fifth were barreled up. He didn’t mention that Wheeler may have dodged even more trouble in the second when centerfielder Dalton Guthrie made a near-perfect throw to the plate to cut down Gabriel Moreno trying to tag up and score from third.  

He conceded that the homer by Smith, coming immediately after the Phillies had gotten back to within a run on solo homers by Kyle Schwarber and Bryson Stott in the bottom of the fourth, hurt.

“We were building momentum,” he said. “But you just have to keep fighting and putting good at bats together.

With almost two months of the season spent, it’s not a stretch to suggest that the Phillies need to see improvement in their rotation from top to bottom if they hope to defend their National League championship.

Wheeler is considered an ace-type pitcher. He’s also 3-4 with a 4.11 ERA, just slightly below the league average of 4.32.

He was asked if he agreed with Thomson’s assessment that he’d pitched better than his line indicated. “To an extent,” he said with a shrug. “At the same time, I had a bunch of chances to put guys away and I didn’t do that. So it kind of works both ways.

“They had a lot of long at bats tonight, a lot of foul balls. If I had thrown the ball a little higher in a lot of instances, maybe they wouldn’t have fouled it off. That type of thing. So it’s on me. I don’t think my command is what it has been. It’s not hitting your exact spots. Not throwing the ball high enough when you’re trying to go up the ladder. And they were just able to put the bat on it. It’s just execution, really.”

Wheeler also admitted that he’s not fully comfortable with the pitch clock yet. “I don’t feel like I’m battling it,” he said. “It does affect you but I feel like I kind of have it zoned it. It is what it is I guess.”

Aaron Nola, the Phillies other top-of-the rotation starter, has a 4.31 ERA. No. 3 starter Taijuan Walker has been wildly inconsistent, a variation based almost entirely on whether or not he’s throwing strikes on any given day. No. 4 starter Ranger Suarez, who strained his left elbow during spring training, has made only two starts. His last time out he last only two innings while being charged with four runs. Still shaking the rust off is the Phillies official diagnosis.

And then there’s the fifth spot in the rotation.

Thomson announced after Monday night’s game that lefthander Matt Strahm will get the ball first Tuesday night against Arizona RHP Ryne Nelson (1-2, 5.48) and that Dylan Covey, claimed on waivers from the Dodgers, will also pitch.

That’s a jerry-rigged solution and it’s not certain how long the bubble gum and masking tape that’s holding that plan together will stick. It’s also not clear whether Strahm is an opener or if this will essentially be a bullpen game.

Thomson said he didn’t know how long Strahm would pitch. But he opened the season in the rotation and then went to the bullpen in part because he hasn’t pitched more than 45 innings in a season since 2019. And Covey, who until further notice is expected to get the bulk of the every-fifth-day innings has one big league appearance since 2020.

The Phillies would certainly tell you they have confidence their starters will get better as the season goes on.

They’d better be right.

Suarez (0-1, 10.50) will face Arizona RHP Zac Gallen  (6-2, 2.95) in the series finale Wednesday afternoon beginning at 1:05.