Managers don’t have to tell you how critical they believe any given game is during the course of the longest season. They give that insight away by their strategic decisions.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson may have maintained his normal outward poker face Friday night in a 5-3 loss to the Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park, but his even-more-than-usual urgency to pick up a W came through loud and clear just two batters into the proceedings.
After Red Sox rightfielder Raimel Tapia led off the game by reaching second on a fielding error by leftfielder Kyle Schwarber and then advanced to third on an infield out, Thomson showed his cards by pulling the infield in in an effort to cut off the run with Justin Turner at the plate.
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That’s not why the Phillies have now lost a season-high five straight, though.
They scored three or fewer runs for the 16th time in 33 games this season. But that’s not why they lost, either.
Schwarber pinned the blame on himself for not catching Tapia’s drove into the gap, even though he nearly collided with centerfielder Dalton Guthrie on the play.
“For me, it goes back to that first inning where I didn’t catch that ball,” he said. “If I do, it could have been a different ballgame. I called it first. It was in my glove and it had to stay there. I have to be better.”
MLB
Nope, that’s not it.
The Phillies are in their worst tailspin since going 0-4 to open the season largely because during this streak, one time around the rotation, their starters have a combined 9.53 earned run average while giving up 36 hits in 22 2/3 innings.
Facing a Red Sox team that has now won seven straight, Zack Wheeler didn’t stink up the joint. He gave up five runs, four earned, in his 5 1/3 innings against a lineup that had averaged almost eight runs a game during their previous six wins. But he knows he has to be better.
“It’s definitely not how I wanted it to go,” he said. “But it’s baseball. It’s frustrating. And I’ve just got to go out and get them next time. That just wasn’t a good game for me. I was pulling a lot of fastballs. Something was just a little off. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Fastball command was off.”
If there’s a silver lining, Wheeler said he’s certain his problem was mechanical instead of physical.”
What made it especially upsetting was that the righthander understood that ending the losing streak was a priority. “I kind of pride myself on coming in and shutting that down,” he said. “So that’s probably one of the most frustrating things out of this game. That I wasn’t able to stop that.”
Thomson’s strategy in the first inning worked. Sort of. Wheeler struck out Turner for the second out. But with the infield back at normal depth, Rafael Devers drove in Tapia with a clean single to right.
The Phillies finished April with a 15-14 record. That’s a little underwhelming for a team coming off a trip to the World Series. Still, as designated hitter Bryce Harper has frequently pointed out, 15 wins a month is a worthy milestone since it adds up to 90 victories over the course of a season.
With the end of the first week in May quickly approaching, that means the Phillies need to win only, let’s see, well, 15 more this month to reach that quota.
RHP Corey Kluber (1-4, 6.44) will start for the Red Sox Saturday night against LHP Bailey Falter (0-5, 5.01). First pitch is scheduled for 7:15.
It will be Boston RHP Tanner Houck (3-1, 5.34) vs. RHP Tijuan Walker (2-2, 6.91) in the series finale.
With an off day Monday, Matt Strahm will be skipped over this time around the rotation so Aaron Nola and Wheeler can pitch on regular rest against the visiting Blue Jays Tuesday and Wednesday. Strahm is available out of the bullpen.
SCARY SIGHT
Play was delayed for approximately 10 minutes in the top of the first inning after an unidentified fan fell into the visitor’s bullpen. Red Sox relievers appeared distraught as medics raced from both dugouts to administer treatment.
According to the Phillies, he was leaning over the fence and reaching for a baseball that landed in the flower bed after it was thrown in his direction.
He was taken to Jefferson Hospital for further evaluation but was “conscious and responsive” when leaving the ballpark according to the Phillies. No further updates were provided after the game.