Five things we learned from the Phillies-Pirates series
By John Town
Vince Velasquez still struggling
Phillies fans and coaches are waiting for Vincent Velasquez to piece himself together into an ace starting pitcher. Each week we wait to see the pitch count and strikeouts on Velasquez’ arm, which has been electric this year.
Once again, the righty found himself unable to escape the sixth inning for the fifth time this year. Each of his last three games we’ve seen the pitch count hit triple digits, which briskly ends the day for Velasquez.
He’s still unable to put hitters away or manage the high-stress situations that come with the job. He needs to be counting outs, not strikeouts at this stage of his career and focus on the team getting a win because of his ability to pitch, not throw.
Next: Odubel Herrera's lack of discipline concerning
Maybe the coaching staff needs to change something, or the catchers need to call better games, but in the end, Velasquez needs to figure something out. If he fails to do so, his career may end up in the bullpen as a closer.