The Philadelphia Phillies are riding high in first place in the National League East as they enjoy some time off over the All-Star break, thanks in large part to the success of the starting pitching staff, which has been one of the best in the MLB.
The pitching will continue to be a key component of the team’s success going forward. One pitcher in particular will be a player to watch after an uneven first half of the season: Jesús Luzardo.
Phillies need Jesús Luzardo to return to early-season form in second half
Luzardo was undoubtedly the Phillies' biggest offseason acquisition, as the team acquired him from the Miami Marlins in December. At times, he has looked like a Cy Young candidate and a valuable part of the starting rotation, which currently has the best ERA in the MLB at 3.22. However, at other times he has struggled mightily.
Overall, on the season, Luzardo has a record of 8-5 to go along with a 4.14 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 104 innings. This pales in comparison to his early season performance, when he carried a 1.73 ERA into the month of May. Even as recently as May 25, Luzardo‘s ERA was at 2.15 on the season, which made him one of the better pitchers in baseball.
Luzardo’s worst performance of the season came on May 31 when he allowed 12 runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers. The start saw his ERA skyrocket to 3.58. He followed up that outing by giving up eight runs in 2 1/3 innings in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, ballooning his ERA even higher to 4.46.
Since then, he has had his series of ups and downs, but he did finish the first half on a high note with seven scoreless innings of work against the San Francisco Giants in a dominant 13-0 win.
Some were quick to point out that Luzardo may have been unknowingly tipping pitches, per Anthony SanFilippo of On Pattison, which could have led to some of the left-hander's struggles. This was pointed out after Luzardo let up the 20 runs in those two games. Since then he has allowed 12 earned runs in 31 2/3 innings for a 3.42 ERA, which is well below his career average (4.26).
If the Phillies have any chance of making a deep postseason run, they need Luzardo to step up and return to his early-season form. If he can do this, it gives the Phillies a lot of firepower in the rotation and a chance to compete in what will be a competitive National League pennant race.