Observations from a sluggish start to the Phillies 2018 season
The season is only four games old, but the Phillies have had problems across the board. Here are some observations from the first week of the season.
Although the season is barely underway, there has been little to cheer about for the Phillies over their first four games. From bad managing to poor execution across the board, there is much blame to go around for the 1-3 start.
While the players have to do their job no matter what moves the manager makes, Gabe Kapler has undoubtedly made very questionable (at the very least) decisions thus far. First, he removes Aaron Nola from a game he is leading 5-0 in the sixth. The bullpen then implodes and the Phillies fall, 8-5.
Yes, the bullpen should be able to get 11 outs and hold a five-run cushion. However, the move without any logical reason given as to why it was made, is inexcusable.
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If that wasn’t bad enough, what Kapler did next is even more mind-boggling and something I have never seen in 40 years of watching baseball. He makes a call to the bullpen without anyone warming up. Is this part of the “Twilight Zone”?
How about his bullpen being so ineffective early that Kapler resorts to using utility man Pedro Florimon in mop-up duty?
The lineups have been inconsistent.
Why does he play Aaron Altherr in every game, despite facing some very tough right-handed pitching? Nick Williams appears to be a better option in this situations.
Kapler has been less than stellar leading the team, but by and large, the players haven’t produced. As a team, the Phillies are batting a woeful .188 with 41 strikeouts in 133 at-bats. They have an on-base percentage of .286 and slugging percentage of .308.
So the hitting has been poor, but maybe the Phillies are holding their own defensively? Ummm, that hasn’t been the case either. In the 15-2 drubbing against the Braves, the Phillies committed more errors, four, than runs. Although the team has committed only one error in the other three games combined, their .967 fielding percentage ranks 28th in the league. Their -6 defensive runs saved rank last in the league.
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Maybe the pitching staff has stepped up? That hasn’t been the case either. The bullpen has an ERA of 5.82 over 17 innings. The starters haven’t been much better, compiling an ERA of 5.08 in 17 2/3 innings. One positive is that the staff has allowed only four home runs altogether this season, one of them given up by Florimon, a non-pitcher.
With all the negatives, there still have been some bright spots. Rhys Hoskins is off to a hot start, hitting .429 with two doubles, a home run, and a stolen base, in 14 at-bats. He has a slugging percentage of .786 and OPS of 1.286. Scott Kingery has shown he is ready for the major leagues, hitting .308 with two doubles in 13 at-bats.
Nola and Ben Lively had strong outings in their first starts. Nola allowed just a single earned run on three hits in 5 1/3, while Lively allowed just two earned runs with five punchouts in 5 2/3. In the bullpen, Victor Arano has not allowed a hit with three strikeouts in three innings of work.
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At second to last in hitting and 26th in the league in pitching, it’s certainly not the start anyone would want. On the bright side, there are 158 games remaining. That should be plenty of time for Kapler how to figure out to be a major-league manager and the player to pick up their game.