Andrew Painter strikes out six in win over Cards

It’s something of a setback for Painter, but at least he struck out six. He also allowed fewer hard-hit balls (eight) than hits. The loss is Painter’s first in eight starts since rejoining the Phillies’ rotation. He has a 3.77 ERA and a 44/15 K/BB in 45 1/3 innings over the span. He’ll try to bounce back in a tough matchup in Atlanta on Sunday.

Painter allowed just two hits and didn’t walk anyone in the 93-pitch gem. He has been a different pitcher since returning from the minor leagues at the end of July, allowing two runs or fewer in five of seven outings. The 23-year-old rookie had a 1.66 WHIP before he was optioned to Triple-A, but that mark is now below 1 since he was recalled. He’ll look to keep it rolling at home against the Astros next time out.

All three runs allowed by Painter came in the first inning. From that point on, the 23-year-old was excellent, and while that damage prevented this outing from being one that would be deemed anything more than solid, the results from the second inning on were encouraging. His 5.95 ERA tells the story of how little consistency — of the good kind, anyway — he’s shown, but there have been enough good moments to believe the future is incredibly bright. A chance to keep his good run going comes against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Painter gave up five hits, walked none and struck out eight. He improved to 3-8 with the win. Painter bounced back after allowing five runs in his last start that also included a first inning grand slam. The eight strikeouts tied a career-high for the 23-year-old rookie right-hander. Painter has a 6.04 ERA and 4.54 xFIP in 19 appearances (17 starts) this year. He’s lined up to face the Angels on the road next weekend.

Painter struck out two and walked three, raising his ERA to 6.43. He gave up a grand slam to Brooks Lee in the bottom of the first and settled down somewhat after that inning, though Kody Clemens tagged him for a solo shot in the third. Before Sunday, Painter had pitched better since being recalled at the end of July. He still has a ways to go before he can be relied on in standard fantasy leagues. A home start against the Cardinals is up next.

It sounds like Painter could have pushed forward on the hamstring had the Phillies wanted him to, but they opted to play it safe. Painter said he feels good about making his next start, which would figure to be against the Cardinals assuming nothing moves around.

Painter threw just 63 pitches over four innings during his second start back in the majors. He finished with four strikeouts and allowed one run on three hits over four frames. The 23-year-old former top pitching prospect will undergo further evaluation to determine the severity of the issue and whether he’ll require a trip to the injured list. It’s not an ideal development for the Phillies since they don’t have a ton of starting pitching depth and just passed the trade deadline. There should be a decision on his status later this week.

Painter took the mound with a 2-0 lead and immediately gave it back. A leadoff double by Dylan Beavers got things started for the O’s and was followed by a two-run homer by Pete Alonso to draw things even at 2-2. Despite the rough start, Painter settled in to allow just one hit over his remaining five innings of work while striking out six batters, his most in any game since May 2nd against the Marlins. Painter was promoted from Triple-A to start tonight’s game. If he sticks around for another start, it will most likely come on Wednesday at home against the Nationals.

Painter didn’t exactly figure it out at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he had a 4.56 RA and 25 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings over five starts. We wouldn’t be looking for a reason to start Painter in his return to the bigs tonight, though it’s certainly possible the Phillies can outbludgeon the Orioles.

The Phillies won’t have another off day until August 14th, so they need a spot starter for today’s game. This also gives them an opportunity to showcase Painter as a potential trade chip at the deadline while the Phillies search for another reliable starting pitcher. The 23-year-old has struggled this year but is improving lately, allowing three runs in his last 11 Triple-A innings while striking out 14. Part of that success has been Painter looking at his metrics after a poor start on July 10th and realizing that too few of his secondary pitches were in the strike zone, allowing hitters to sit on his four-seam fastball. We’ll see if he can carry those lessons into his next MLB start.