The pregame talk centered around the Phillies’ beleaguered bullpen. Both manager Gabe Kapler and general manager Matt Klentak expressed confidence in the unit (see story).
Well …
Said bullpen gave up three killer runs in the late innings in a 7-6 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.
Tommy Hunter let a two-run lead get away in the top of the seventh inning as the Cardinals took a 6-4 lead. The Phillies rallied to tie the game on a two-run double by Rhys Hoskins in the bottom of the eighth. Hoskins hit a 101-mph fastball from Jordan Hicks. The Cardinals, however, went ahead for good on a two-out solo homer by Matt Carpenter against Seranthony Dominguez in the top of the ninth. Carpenter hit an 0-2 fastball that registered 98 mph. Dominguez threw all fastballs in the showdown and Carpenter was waiting for one.
Vince Velasquez turned in a solid start for the Phillies and exited with one out in the seventh inning, two men on base and a two-run lead. Hunter came on and got the second out of the inning. However, he then allowed three straight hits, including a pair of two-run doubles, as the Cardinals tied the game then took the lead.
Hunter, signed to a two-year, $18 million contract in the offseason, left the mound to boos after the frame.
MLB
The Phillies’ bullpen has been among the worst in baseball in June. It has a 6.17 ERA in the month and has given up 64 hits in 54 innings.
The Phillies scored single runs in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings in building a 4-2 lead. Carlos Santana drove in two runs with a ground out in the first inning and a solo homer in the fifth. Odubel Herrera continued to heat up with a solo homer in the third, his fourth long ball in the last five games. Cesar Hernandez drew a one-out, bases-loaded walk for a run in the fourth. The Phils had two more shots to get more runs against Luke Weaver in the inning but Hoskins popped up and Herrera took a called third strike as the Phils left the bases full.
Velasquez gave up just two runs, both on solo homers, through the first six innings. He got the first out in the seventh then did Hunter no favors by giving up a single and hitting a batter to put two runners on base as Kapler went to the bullpen.
Before the game, Kapler proclaimed that Dominguez would be available. Kapler likes to use him in the game’s biggest moment, but in this case he went to Hunter, probably because the right-hander features a cutter that works well against left-handed hitters. Carpenter, a left-handed hitter, tied the game with a two-out double. He hit a 1-0 curveball. Two batters later, Jose Martinez clubbed a two-run double to put the Cards ahead.
Dominguez came into the game in the ninth and struck out the first two batters before Carpenter stroked another big hit to break the tie and send the Phillies to a demoralizing loss (see story).
Crawford exits
J.P. Crawford, who started at third base, was plunked on the left hand by a pitch in the fourth inning. He stayed in the game briefly then was replaced by Maikel Franco. Kapler said after the game that Crawford suffered a fracture and will miss four to six weeks (see story).