Bryce Harper: ‘We have to pick it up, we have to be better'

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Though the talk centers around the reality that it’s early, way too early to panic, and things can turn quickly, the action suggests urgency, not quite desperation, but definitely, “Hey, it’s time to get going here.”

Phillies manager Joe Girardi overhauled his batting order Sunday, moving Kyle Schwarber out of the leadoff spot after he’d barely had time to break in his new spikes. The ability to hit leadoff was one of the things that attracted the Phillies to Schwarber in the offseason. Now, they will depend on his ability to slug the ball in the middle of the lineup and J.T. Realmuto will get a look in the top spot.

Trying to wring some consistent production out of the lineup, Girardi is using Bryce Harper in the No. 2 spot of the batting order, up from the No. 3 spot where he won the NL MVP award last season.

“Whatever helps us, whatever he wants us to do,” Harper said after Sunday’s 11-3 loss in Miami. “If he thinks that's going to make us better, then I'm all for it. Wherever he puts my name, I'll show up and play. That's how I feel about it.”

The Phillies head to Denver for a three-game series on Monday night. The Phils are 4-6 after 10 games. The Rockies are 6-3.

Though the Phillies have scored just 13 runs in their last five losses, the offense is in there somewhere and maybe it will come out more consistently at that hitters’ wonderland called Coors Field. After 10 games, the Phils rank in the top 10 in the majors in both batting average (No. 10 at .252) and OPS (No. 9 at .746). There are a bunch of teams that have been struggling offensively out of the gate.

Pitching is a different story. The Phils’ team ERA after 10 games is 5.07, 26th in the majors and the starters’ ERA is a whopping 5.68, 12th out of 15 clubs in the NL.

It’s early, very early, and things can change with one good week. But the starting rotation, so far, has not been the strength it was projected to be. It might be as simple as three-fifths of it was behind schedule in spring training. As the rotation begins its third cycle Monday night, things need to change.

Aaron Nola was not behind schedule in spring training. He’s already allowed seven earned runs in 9 1/3 innings over two starts and he’s coming off a season in which he had a disappointing 4.63 ERA in 2021. The right-hander needs to be better. The entire Phillies roster does.

“I think obviously we have the people here to win ballgames,” Zack Wheeler said after his difficult outing Sunday. “We haven't played our best. Everything's kind of not clicking all together. That's the biggest thing right now. We sort of saw that in years past where maybe the pitching's doing well, the hitting is carrying us and then the opposite. We just need to get everything going at the same time. We definitely have the guys here to do that and win some ballgames. We have to do it.”

Harper concurred.

“We need to be better, of course,” he said. “I think we're just trying to come every day ready to play. I think we're doing that. The results aren't there right now. They need to be. So I think all around we need to be a lot better.”

After Sunday’s loss, Girardi said, “Right now, there’s some inconsistency in our play that’s kind of biting us.”

Alec Bohm has been consistent in helping the offense, mostly in a bench role. He hasn’t started at third base since a three-error game last Monday. He might return to the position Monday night against the Rockies in Denver. Right-hander Chad Kuhl, a University of Delaware product, will start for the Rockies.

“It's always a challenge going out there,” Harper said. “They're a really good team at home. They always have been. We've got hard work in front of us. We have to pick it up. We have to start swinging the bats — myself included. Just start having better at-bats and all-around baseball. We have to be better.”

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