Phillies' Nightmarish Start Continues as They're Badly Outplayed at Yankee Stadium

Phillies outplayed in all phases by Yankees as nightmarish start continues originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

NEW YORK -- There's never just one reason for a losing streak and there are many to explain the Phillies' 0-4 start.

They didn't pitch well the first two games in Texas. They played sloppy defense on Saturday. They couldn't come up with a big hit on Sunday.

Monday night at Yankee Stadium, the Phils were out-executed in all phases by the home team in an 8-1 loss.

The Phillies have allowed 37 runs, matching their most through four games since 1895. They've been out-homered 8-1. Pitching depth is already a concern.

"It's being tested, no doubt, but it is what it is," manager Rob Thomson said. "We've got to deal with it and get through this period."

The shakiness started immediately Monday night when DJ LeMahieu sent a low line drive to center field to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Brandon Marsh was caught in between and decided at the last second to try to catch it rather than field it on a hop. The ball went under his glove and all the way to the wall in center for a little-league triple.

"It's unacceptable," Marsh said. "Things like that can't happen, especially against teams like this. I've got to be better. That can't happen. It's not on anyone else but me. I've got to own up to it and be better, I've got to be a lot better."

Debuting starting pitcher Taijuan Walker walked the next two batters before encountering tough luck in the form of back-to-back weakly hit ground balls. The first was hit softly enough that Trea Turner could get only one out at first as a run scored. The next ricocheted off Walker's glove for an RBI infield single.

Walker did limit the damage to those two runs but the Yankees extended their lead on Gleyber Torres' solo home run in the third and Anthony Rizzo's two-run blast to the second deck in right field in the fifth.

A half-inning prior, the Phillies ran themselves out of a potential game-tying or go-ahead rally. They were trailing by two when Marsh cued a double down the third-base line. With two outs, J.T. Realmuto lined a single to right field. Marsh got a decent jump and appeared to have a chance to score as he rounded third base, but Franchy Cordero made a quick throw home and third base coach Dusty Wathan put up a stop sign. Marsh reacted late and was caught too far off of third base. Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes backed up the plate as pitchers are taught to do, snagged Cordero's sailing throw and fired sidearm to third to nab Marsh.

It was a turning point. By the next inning, the game was essentially over.

"He ran with his head down, he didn't see Dusty with his hands up," Thomson said. "Dusty had his hands up in plenty of time to hold him and Cordero throws the ball pretty good. It looks bad because he overthrows the cutoff man but you don't know that as the third base coach, you just know when the guy's about to third base and when the ball's in his glove. He just got around too far."

Walker's Phillies debut was a mixed bag. His velocity, down to 88-89 mph in his final spring training start, was back up to 94-96. He struck out Aaron Judge swinging twice and induced 10 whiffs on 36 swings. But his control was off in a laborious 36-pitch first inning.

"First inning, adrenaline was up, I was kind of all over the place, but after that, I calmed down," he said. "Was trying to be too cute in that first inning instead of attacking them. But the two-seamer was working well against righties and the rest of the way was good. Kind of settled in, but it just sucks I had to throw so many pitches in the first."

Thomson liked what he saw from Walker after that opening frame but pulled him at 87 pitches with one out in the fifth inning. Yunior Marte came on, was blown up and could very well be headed to Triple A Tuesday to get a fresh arm into the Phillies' bullpen. He allowed four runs in one-third of an inning on three hits and three walks. 

Four games into the season, the Phillies have already had four different relief outings where a pitcher allowed at least three runs without recording more than one out — Marte, Gregory Soto, Craig Kimbrel and Seranthony Dominguez.

"You don't want to start 0-4, that's for sure," Thomson said. "But if we lost four in a row in July, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. We don’t want to keep doing this. Everybody's frustrated but we keep working. It's a resilient group, it's the same group as last year for the most part, so I expect them to come out tomorrow, prepare and go compete."

The Phillies' longest start so far belongs to Bailey Falter at 5⅓ innings. Lefty Matt Strahm starts Tuesday night and will be capped at approximately 65 pitches since he hasn't made a real start in four years. The Phillies' pitching staff has already been taxed early and will need to cover at least four or five innings Tuesday. Then they draw Gerrit Cole on Wednesday.

Picking up a win at Yankee Stadium before coming back to Philly for Thursday's home opener will be a challenge.

"A lot of ball to play, 158 more," Marsh said. "Not time to hit the panic button right now four games in. Just frustrated about tonight."