As if things couldn’t get worse for the Philadelphia Phillies, they were swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend to extend their losing streak to five games. The Phillies have now lost three consecutive series and nine of the last 10 games.
June is supposed to mark the start of hittin’ season, but the Phillies’ offense forgot how to do that. There’s a lot of blame to go around for the team’s recent losing skid, and it all starts with Rob Thomson and the coaching staff.
Thomson must seriously consider switching things up with the batting order and when to bring in certain relievers. The buttons the Phillies’ manager has been pressing recently haven’t been working.
With that being said, the Phillies must flip the switch quickly before they lose any more ground in the NL East.
Who’s to blame for the Phillies’ horrible road trip to begin June?
The entire Phillies offense
The Phillies’ offense has been abysmal during this losing streak. Bryce Harper hasn’t been in the lineup due to multiple injuries for the majority of this stretch, but the lineup is too talented to struggle as much as it has without the first baseman in it.
A veteran team with a high payroll, like the Phillies, shouldn’t rely on just one player. A lineup featuring Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto should have enough firepower to win games without its top player.
Turner has been the Phillies’ most consistent hitter and is one of the few players getting the job done at the plate. Key contributors such as Schwarber and Bryson Stott have been nonexistent to start June.
Schwarber is known for his historic production in June throughout his career, but has yet to live up to the “Mr. June” title. The 32-year-old owns a .143 batting average with just one home run, three RBI, one walk and has struck out 13 times in 28 at-bats.
Stott had an impressive month of April but has cooled off since then. He’s 2-for-24 so far in June and could find himself being moved down in the lineup and out of the leadoff role against right-handed pitching.
Jesús Luzardo
Jesús Luzardo got off to an impressive start to his Phillies career after being traded from the Miami Marlins during the offseason. The left-hander was 5-0 with a 2.15 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 67 innings through May 25 and was an early NL Cy Young candidate.
Luzardo’s Cy Young odds have plummeted since his last two starts. The 27-year-old made one start so far in June in a 9-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays last Thursday. He pitched just 2 1/3 innings and allowed nine hits, two walks and eight earned runs.
Luzardo has allowed 21 hits, five walks and 20 earned runs, including three home runs, between his last two outings, going back to his start on May 31 against the Milwaukee Brewers. He’s pitched just 5 2/3 innings and recorded only six strikeouts while picking up his first two losses of the season.
Jordan Romano
Jordan Romano hasn’t been the player the Phillies thought they were getting when they signed him to a one-year deal during the offseason. The former two-time All-Star closer got off to a horrendous start to his Phillies career, but then the veteran found some success recording nine consecutive scoreless appearances, including five saves.
Like most of the Phillies’ team, Romano has had a forgettable start to June. The right-hander has appeared in three games and has blown two non-save situations in the ninth inning. The first came against his former team, the Blue Jays, last Wednesday and the other occurred on Friday against the Pirates.
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Romano has allowed six hits, one walk and three earned runs in 2 1/3 innings so far in June. He has an 11.57 ERA this month and a 7.71 ERA in 26 appearances out of the bullpen this season.
The Phillies need more consistency out of the bullpen, especially with José Alvarado suspended. Romano is a bullpen arm they need to count on if the team has any hopes of making a deep playoff run at the end of the year.