Phillies Lose Series Finale to Reds, 7-4: Four Observations
The Phillies fell to 1-2 on the season with their second loss to the Reds, and here are four things worth pointing out from the game.
The Phillies went from a perfect win percentage to a .333 win percentage in the span of two games after losing the last two games of their series with the Reds. The Reds won by a 7-4 score in the series finale.
Philadelphia’s pitching did them no favors, allowing two more runs in Thursday’s game than the first two games combined. The offense actually produced a bit – unlike Wednesday night – but it wasn’t enough to erase the deficit allowed by the pitchers.
With the Phils headed back to Citizens Bank Park for their home opener Friday afternoon, here are four observations from the loss.
Hey, That New Guy Can Hit
Overshadowed by the heart-warming success story of Brock Stassi was the Phillies adding Daniel Nava to their 25-man roster. Nava battled with Chris Coghlan for a spot on the roster, but Stassi nearly eliminated the both of them. Instead, the team sent Jesmuel Valentin to Triple-A and put Stassi and Nava on the major-league roster.
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Stassi, Nava, and Andrew Knapp all got their first major-league starts with manager Pete Mackanin wanting to see everyone get some playing time. Nava started in left for Howie Kendrick and batted in the two-hole.
While Stassi and Knapp have yet to collect their first hits as Phillies, Nava did it in grand fashion. He knocked a solo home run in the first inning, then came back and hit another in the third, driving in two.
Nava also made a nice play late in the game, tossing out Zack Cozart at third base for the force out after he hesitated on a line drive.
Nava’s line for the season currently stands as such: .667/.750/2.667, two home runs, three RBI, and a 747 wRC+. It’s safe to say those numbers will fall back to earth, but it’s a great start for the guy who is on his fifth team in three seasons.
Nava told Ryan Lawrence of Philly Voice that Thursday was a great way to start the season after working so hard this offseason to get ready for the season:
“It makes a lot of the work that I did this offseason, a little more rewarding, a little sweeter,” he said. “That’s a good incentive to keep doing what I’ve been doing…It’s rewarding to contribute. That’s for sure.”
Clay Buchholz’s Debut Didn’t Go As Planned
Also making his debut for the Phillies Thursday was pitcher Clay Buchholz, whom the team brought over in an offseason trade with the Red Sox. Mackanin said he hoped Buchholz could mirror the success Jeremy Hellickson had last season: [quote via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com]
“I look for him to have the same type of year as [Jeremy] Hellickson,…He’s a similar type of pitcher. He relies on his command and control. When he mixes his pitches and changes speeds, that’s when he’s effective.”
If Buchholz is going to have Hellickson-like success, this wasn’t the way to start it. Buchholz lasted just five innings in his debut, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks in the process. His ERA now stands at 7.20 after today’s game.
Buchholz admitted to Lawrence the debut wasn’t his best work, but that it was still better than it could have been:
“It could have gone a lot better,” Buchholz said. “It could have gone a lot worse in a couple of situations.”
Thankfully, the Phils provided enough offense to cushion the blow dealt by Cincinnati’s offense early on and keep Buchholz from getting a loss, but the next pitcher Mackanin sent out was left on his own.
Oh, So That’s Why Adam Morgan Isn’t a Starter
After two poor seasons and with the rotation full, Adam Morgan‘s only chance to make the major-league roster was in the bullpen. He was able to grab one of the last spots in the bullpen as the team’s long reliever, and both he and the team hope Morgan can find a new role there.
With Buchholz leaving the game early, Mackanin called on his long man to eat some innings and bridge the gap to the late-game relievers.
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Morgan looked like he was going to do just that, retiring the first two batters he faced in the sixth inning. With a depleted bench, the Reds sent relief pitcher Michael Lorenzen to the plate to pinch-hit. He then proceeded to hit a solo home run off of Morgan.
I wish I was kidding when I wrote that. Adam Morgan allowed a pinch-hit home run to a relief pitcher. In fairness, Lorenzen was a hitting prospect at one point, but still, that’s just disappointing to see from Morgan.
Morgan gave up another home run in the bottom of the seventh, a two-run blast to Adam Duvall.
After giving up three runs and essentially burying any chance Philadelphia had of winning the game, he deserved the loss and then some. Matt Winkelman of Crashburn Alley summed up the feeling Morgan gave fans pretty well:
You have to have a long man in your bullpen just in case you need to put winnable games out of reach
— Matt Winkelman (@Matt_Winkelman) April 6, 2017
Strikeouts Are Plaguing the Phillies
The Phillies brought in Matt Stairs to help Philadelphia’s hitters stay patient at the plate, and it looked like it was working to start the season. They struck out just eight times on Opening Day, but that number has risen dramatically since, as pointed out by Meghan Montemurro of the News Journal:
Phillies lose 7-4 after Reds score six unanswered runs. In the last two days, #Phillies have struck out 25 total times.
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) April 6, 2017
Cesar Hernandez and Tommy Joseph both have five strikeouts, Freddy Galvis has four, and Maikel Franco has three so far this season. This was one of the key sticking points of the offseason and spring training, but once the losses started back up, it appears the team has forgotten.
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The Phils cannot let this effect compound. The more they strikeout, the more they’ll lose, the more they’ll press and strike out because they’re losing, and so on and so on.